Farewell, My Love
by XionTheBlackRose
Summary: Vanitas is forced to abandon his parents in hopes of saving his baby brother. A horrible illness has spread across the globe, turning people into monsters, and Vanitas has to learn to survive and protect. Only, things are not as they seem anymore, and when Vanitas disappears one day, Ven is left alone to survive, and he soon finds this new world has rules of its own.{Zombie AU}
1. Part One: Thanks For Ruining My Birthday

**Thanks For Ruining My Birthday**

_It all happened so suddenly. _

_We had no warning, no time to consider what was happening around us. It was late December, the twenty-eighth to be exact. To make matters worse, it was my birthday. _

_I was just a kid, barely eleven. I didn't understand what it meant when I saw that creature, the girl I once knew, at my window. The screams of the people around me, the hideous things that were eating my town. I didn't understand any of it. _

_I didn't know what was happening, or why I left her there without thinking. No, I _did_ think. _

_The whimpering of my baby brother had me thinking: I couldn't let him die. I couldn't let those things get him. I couldn't leave him behind, as I did the others. No, he clung too tight, cried too loud, I couldn't leave him. I wouldn't leave him. _

_Everything was gone now, everything I knew. _

_He was only four, I couldn't let his life end so suddenly, before he even had a chance to live. I made a vow that night, the first night. I would keep Ventus alive, no matter what. _

* * *

"I'll be back in a little while, Tifa!" I call to my mother as I run out of the house.

She said something, but I didn't hear her. I run as fast as I can down the street. Running is my passion. It's my escape. I'm the fastest in school, and everyone knows it. They hate me for it, but they know it. People always try to race me, and I always beat them. No one liked that I was undefeated, but I don't care. I don't care what people say about me. I run down the street and round the corner. I look around as I catch my breath.

_Uncle Cid's isn't too far from here. I could visit them for a few minutes while I make my runs._ I have a habit of running around ever street in town every morning, to keep myself in shape, and to keep my speed record. I won't settle for anything below the best when it came to running, my passion. I run again as I head for my Uncle's house across town. After about ten minutes later, I finally come to my Uncle's house. I stop and catch my breath before I knock on the door. the door swings open and I get a gun barrel to my face.

"I told you damn fools, I don't want any-"

He frowns and looks at me. I snicker, "I'm not a girl scout, Cid."

He laughs and pulls the gun from my face and pats me on the back, "Heya, little Vani!"

I groan softly, "Cid, don't call me that.."

He laughs, "'Cause you asked so nicely!"

I sigh, "Good to see you, too."

"That Vanitas?" Leon, who turned thirteen last month, pokes his head into the doorway, then he grins, moving so he's standing beside his father, "'Sup, kiddo?"

I chuckle, "I'm not that much younger than you, Leon."

He smirks, "Yeah, but two and a half years is still a gap."

"So, what brings you to this side of the tracks, kiddo?" Cid grins.

I shrug, "Just making my morning run."

"Ah, Yeah, I could have figured that," Leon replies.

I nod, "What are you guys planning to do today?"

"Hm, not much. I was going to take Leon into the woods down the mile past town and teach him to shoot. He's great with a knife but knife huntin' isn't very legal," Cid smirks.

Leon chuckles, "What are you planning?"

"Well, today's my birthday, so I was going to have a small party. Tifa's making me, I couldn't care less about a party, honestly," I reply.

"Ah, today's your birthday? How old are you, Vani?" Cid asks.

"I'm eleven," I reply.

Leon nods, "Thought so."

I frown slightly, "Can.. You guys come?"

I hate having to ask directly, but I have to ask every year, or they forget my birthday. It happens all the time. Cloud, my father, and Cid don't get along well, so if I want to see him and Leon, I have to go over.

"I'm sure we can swing by. When's this party supposed to be?" Cid asks.

"At six I think," I reply.

Leon nods, smiling slightly, "We'll be there, 'kay?"

I nod, smiling, "Awesome."

They close the door and I continue my run. After about an hour, I come back to my own street. Just as I'm a block from my house something catches my eye. I stop and frown, "Hey, man, are you okay? You don't look so well.."

I step towards the older boy, slowly walking down the street. He looks at me and frowns, "Leave me alone, brat!"

I frown, "Don't be so rude, I was just asking if you were okay."

The boy coughs and blood hits the ground. I got worried, "Hey, now.. Do you need a doctor? Are you close to home?"

"I said leave me alone!" he snaps, running unevenly away from me. I frown, watching him go. He falls down, but slowly pulls himself up, more blood litters the road. I continue to frown as I watch him retreat down the street and turn a corner, out of my sight.

I sigh, "What was his problem?"

I continue home and open the door, taking off my shoes as I call out, "I'm back!"

_"Vani!" _

I look up and smile as my four-year-old brother Ventus runs up and hugs my waist. I chuckle and hug him back, "Hey, Ventus."

Tifa comes into the room and smiles, "Welcome back. How was your run?"

I smile, "It was fine. I went to Uncle Cid's, they're going to come to my party."

"Great," Cloud groans, "That's just perfect."

Tifa frowns, "Cloud, be nice. He is your brother after all. Can't you make peace with him?"

Cid is six years older than Cloud, and they've never seen eye to eye, so I've been told. I sigh, "This party is going to suck. I don't have any friends, Tifa."

She smiles, "Oh, dear, it won't 'suck.' We'll be here, and as long as someone who loves you is near, nothing will 'suck.'"

I nod, smiling lightly, "I guess you're right."

Ventus still hugs my waist, and I have to pry his small hands from me, smiling at him, "Go hug something else, 'kay?"

He laughs and runs off. I sigh, and Tifa is staring at me. I blink, "What?"

"You and Ventus have the same blue eyes." she replies.

I chuckle, "That so?"

She nods, "It's beautiful."

"'Cause it looks like Cloud's," I laugh.

She giggles, "Yeah, that's also true."

Cloud chuckles, "New conversation topic?"

I frown, "Actually, there is something I want to discuss."

"What is it?" Tifa asks.

"On my way home, there was this boy, not much older than Leon.. He looked sick. He was coughing blood and he was so pale. I wanted to help him but he ran off," I explain.

Cloud frowns, "That's the sixth person I've heard of with that 'condition.'"

"What do you mean?" Tifa looks at Cloud.

He shakes his head, "A lot of people at work have been asking around about any information about a new disease sweeping through. A lot of the elderly and younger people have been getting sick. I hope it's not that serious."

"How long has this been going on?" Tifa asks.

"About two weeks. Whatever it is, it's moving fast," Cloud replies with a sigh, "I'm sure it'll just pass over. This town's suffered more and lost less," Cloud replies.

And that was the last of the conversation, Cloud refuses to say any more on the matter.

* * *

Hours later Tifa and Cloud call Ventus and I into the kitchen. I sit in the chair against the wall and look expectantly to my parents. I tilt my head, "Where's Tifa?"

The light turns off and I turn towards the light switch, where Tifa is, holding a cake that has candles lit. She smiles and her, Cloud, and even little Ventus attempt to sing to me. I laugh, "Guys, you don't have to sing."

"It's traditional," Tifa replies, after she finishes singing and she lays the cake on the table in front of me.

I sigh, "Yeah, I guess it is."

Cloud grunts, "At least Cid isn't here yet."

Tifa glares at Cloud, "Be nice. He's your brother, and Vanitas happens to get along fine with him and his son."

Cloud just glares in response and Tifa rolls her eyes, then smiles at me, "Would you like presents first, or after?"

"First is fine," I reply.

Tifa nods and leaves the room, coming back a minute later with a small box. She smiles and hands it to me. I open the box and pull out a small round pendant on a thin silver chain and I frown slightly, "Isn't this a bit.. Girly?"

"It's called a Memory Jewel. Open it," Tifa replies, standing next to Cloud, both of them smiling.

I do as she says and inside is a picture of Cloud, and on the other side is a picture of Tifa. I look up at them and Cloud is the one to speak this time, "It's so you'll always remember where you came from. In this world, it's so easy to forget things, and we want you to always remember."

I smile and slip the pendant around my neck, tucking it safely under my T-shirt, "Thank you."

"My turn, my turn!" Ventus squeals, running from the kitchen.

Tifa quickly follows him and I chuckle softly, kid's so energetic nowadays. He comes back with Tifa and he hands me a shoe box. I smile at him and say, "New shoes?" just to mess with him.

He huffs, "No! Open it, Vani!"

I laugh and open the box, finding his favorite toy; a light gray stuffed rabbit. I smile, "You're giving me this?"

Ventus nods, "He's safe! He'll protect you, Vani!"

I chuckle and hug my brother, "Thanks."

I release him and put the box on the floor beside my chair, "Now we have cake?"

Tifa laughs and moves to the counter to get a knife from the knife block. Just as she returns to cut the cake, I can hear distant screaming coming from outside. I stiffen, "Did... Did anyone else...?"

Cloud frowns, "That screaming."

Tifa looks worried, "What's happening?"

More screaming can be heard, and it seems closer now. After a couple minutes there's screaming overlapping screaming. Ventus covers his ears, "Make it stop, Daddy!"

Cloud moves to the window and pushes the curtain aside, I tried to see past but can't. He frowns and closes the curtain again, "Tifa lock all the doors and windows!"

She does so without saying a word. The screaming was closer now and I frown, "Cloud, what's going on out there?"

"Nothing," he replies.

I frown, "It doesn't sound like nothing."

He frowns and moves around, locking windows and both the door on the side, that opens to the front porch. Our house is kind of backwards, our porch is on our kitchen instead of living room. He finishes and comes back to us, "Get your shoes on, coat, too. Ventus', too You may need to find Cid and Leon."

I have never heard Cloud so serious before. I nod slowly, "Okay.. What's-"

"Not now, keep your voice down," he replies.

I nod and take Ventus' hand, taking him to his room first. I set him on his bed and get his Velcro shoes on, since their the easiest, and his winter coat. He blinks at me, "Are we going somewhere?"

I frown, leading him to my room now, "I don't know."

Before I make it to my room, something stops me in my tracks. Something had hit the wall to my left. I let go of Ventus' hand and push him gently against the wall by my bedroom door and I move towards the window. I draw the curtain slowly and my eyes widen at what I see there. Pressed against the glass was Elisa. She was a girl in my class, a very bright girl, I even had a thing for her. But the thing before me couldn't be the same girl.

She was covered in blood. Blood littered her mouth, her shoulder (It looked like something tried to eat her), and she even had blood in her hair from the chin down. Her hair used to be a snowy white color, but now it was covered in dirt and blood. She still looked like the Elisa I knew, but she wasn't the same somehow. She had bloody hands, blood covered her arms to the elbows and she smeared it against the glass.

She pushed against it, mouth opening and shutting in a biting motion. Her eyes, god her _eyes! _They were a muddy gray color, all over, she had no pupils, they were just an endless muddy gray. I stared at them, expecting to see my reflection, but not even that shown. It was nothing, just that ugly white/gray mud. She continued to bite and press against the glass and it started to crack. A sound shattered my ears, a scream, I think.

I was frozen in place as the glass slit and shattered in places as she pushed through. The window completely shatters and she moves in, hanging halfway in my house. Arms reached and one of them grips the collar of my T-shirt, blood smearing against my skin as she does so. The shattering scream continues as a gurgled moan escapes the monster that used to be Elisa. I couldn't make myself move away from her as she pulled herself closer to me, and I could still hear the shattering scream. I barely realized the scream was mine.


	2. Leaving All Behind

**Leaving All Behind**

Ventus is wailing, and so am I. Elisa pulls herself closer to me, her face inches from my throat. Her breath is horrid, it smells of rotting flesh. I wanted to gag, but fear keeps me still, and I can't make myself move. My screams stop and she opens her mouth, very close to me. I just stare at her, I still can't make myself move, I still can't understand what's going on, or why this girl is about to make me her happy meal.

Ventus kept wailing and a part of me wants to tell him to hush, but I can't keep my eyes off the monster about to take a bite of me. Everything moves in slow motion. Just as she starts to clamp her mouth down on the part where my neck and shoulder connect, something silver catches my eye and it's suddenly lodged in the back of Elisa's head. Her entire body goes limp and she releases me.

Someone pulls me back, someone else was yelling, but I can't think, I can't look away from the girl hanging halfway in the window, face against the wall. My eye caught her hand, it has a piece of cloth stuck in her fist. It's a piece of my shirt. I look to my collar, and a piece has been ripped off. Blood litters my chest from where she had grabbed me, and there is blood from her mouth on my shoulder, but I can't tell if she had bitten me or not.

Someone has a firm grip of me, they were shaking me. _Tifa? _Yes, it's her. She's shaking me, saying something, but all I can hear are her muffled voice, along with Cloud's, and Ventus' wailing. Why doesn't she try to quieten him? There's something going on, isn't there? Cloud pulls the knife (It was a knife?) from Elisa's head and wipes the blade against his jeans, staining them with dark red, almost black, blood.

Slowly, sounds fully reaches my ears again and I can hear Tifa trying to console the baby, but he keeps crying, keeps wailing. Is it my name he was saying? He's crying too hard to tell. Cloud comes up to me, he's saying something, but I can't understand him. His eyes are dark, but I can see the worry in them. He shakes me, Tifa pushes him gently away, and then she says something. I still can't hear very well.

I just blink at them and Cloud says something again, and this time I can sort of hear him, "W..re y..u b..t?"

I blink, "What?"

Cloud frowns slightly, then he replies slowly, "Were...you...bit?"

I frown, "I dunno."

Ventus hugs my leg and I look at him. He's still crying, but it's softer now. Tifa goes into the bathroom and comes back with disinfectant wipes. I groan softly as she washes the blood off my chest, "Tifa, I can do that on my own, I'm not a kid."

She nods, but keeps cleaning, finishing my chest and she moves to my shoulder, "Just hush and let me do it."

I wince, "Tifa.."

She glances at me, "Does it hurt?"

I nod, "A little."

"Were you bit?" Cloud asks again.

"I don't know. I don't think so," I reply.

Tifa finishes her cleaning and sighs, "She barely grazed him. I don't think it'll affect him."

Cloud visibly relaxes, "Good."

Most of the screaming outside had stopped, and that worried me. Cloud notices this, too and he frowns, "Tifa, get back to the kitchen, keep quiet, I don't want any more of those things coming here. The boys' screams lured them, but keep out of sight. I'm going to board the window up."

Tifa nods and rushes Ventus and I into the kitchen, sitting us under the table. She stands beside it, to keep us safe, I guess. I can hear Cloud nailing a board to the window in the hall, but won't the sound bring more of those things like Elisa? I close my eyes, remembering what Elisa looked like before tonight. She was always smiling. She had the prettiest hair I had ever seen. Her eyes, such a brilliant blue.

She was beautiful. She was a year older than me and she was one of my only friends. No, she was my only friend, Leon can't count as a friend. I can remember the last thing she ever said to me. It was yesterday, she had asked me if I was going to invite her to my birthday party. I told her I wasn't going to have one. Maybe she wouldn't be dead if I had just said yes..

"Where are Uncle Cid and Leon?!" I gasp, remembering they were supposed to come over, too.

Tifa shushes me, but she looks worried, "I don't know, Vanitas. Just keep your voice down."

I nod and listen intently to the hammering in the hall. I could hear that same gurgling moan from before, outside the house. Those things, they are so close to us. I know Ventus hears them, too, he's whimpering softly. "Tifa," I whisper, "those things.. They're _here._"

Tifa frowns, "I know. Just be quiet."

Cloud comes back a few minutes later and he looks grim. He whispers, "Tifa, you need to take the boys and get to Cid's. I hate to say it, but they'll be safer there. i can distract those things while you run for it."

He picks up a shot gun and then hands Tifa a handgun, "Go when I say so."

Tifa looks conflicted, "Cloud.."

He pushes the gun in her hands and kisses her, "Be careful."

She nods and turns to us, ushering us out from under the table. I leave the table, carrying Ventus and she says, "We have to go. We're going to Uncle Cid's. Vanitas, don't put him down. You run when I run, stop when I stop. Never, ever, do you look back. Do you understand me?"

I nod, "I understand."

Cloud comes over to us and kisses us both on the head. He looks directly at me and he whispers into my ear, so only I can hear, "Keep your brother safe, Vanitas. You _do not _let those things get him. _Promise_ me."

I nod, "I promise, _Dad_."

Cloud chuckles softly, "So now it's 'Dad?'"

I smile softly, "You're not coming with us. I want you to know I _do_ respect you. Please, be careful. _Don't die._"

I turn to Tifa, "Ready to go."

She nods and holds the gun in her hand firmly, "You have to keep up."

Cloud moves to the back of the house, making a lot of noise so all the monsters will be over there and away from us. I swallow, nervousness racking my bones, "Yeah, I got it."

Once we were sure the monsters weren't around our side of the house, Tifa throws open the door, Cloud yells, "Don't waste time closing it!"

"What?!" I gasp.

"Vanitas, come _on!_" Tifa growls, running ahead.

I gasp softly and run after her, thanking the gods I'm as fast as I am, I caught up pretty quickly; She's almost as fast as I am. It was pretty dark, and it's raining, which doesn't help the fact that I can hear the moans of the dead all around me, and I can hardly see my mother barely in front of me. I keep hushing Ventus, he whimpers every so often. We ran quickly, stopping every so often behind a building to let a few monsters pass before running again.

My mind keeps traveling back to Cloud, who's in our house, probably surrounded by those things. He has a gun, but even I know it won't save him for long. I know he won't be able to survive. I can't believe I left him there. I try to keep my mind on the task at hand and continue to follow after Tifa. We stop again and wait, watching at least five monsters huddled together pass. I press Ventus against me, patting his hair; the only way to comfort him into silence when he's scared. I can't have him making noise and giving us away. But he moves, looks at me, and he says, "Vani, I'm cold!"

I suck in a breath, _He's given us away! _Tifa thinks the same, since she looks at us with wide eyes. I hear the moans get closer and I turn just in time to see the herd of five monsters; flesh eaters; _zombies _come around my corner. Ventus sees them and screams, burying his face in my shoulder. He isn't helping our situation. I back away but the zombies move in, trying to surround me. Tifa dashes forward, shoving her handgun in my hand.

One of the zombies grabs her arm and takes a bite. She cries out and grits her teeth as another bites her shoulder. She screams again but manages to turn to me, slightly. She groans as the other three make her a happy meal. "Get to Cid's! D-don't stop! Don't look b-back.." She screams again, then she says, just barely, "Don't... Look.. Back..."

_She's a goner._ While they snacked on my mother, I ran. Ventus screamed for her, but I kept going. I'm horrible. Now I've lost them. I held tightly to Ventus and kept running. Knowing every street in town helped me. I hid when I heard them, I ran fast when I couldn't see one. I shushed Ventus over and over, and finally he just stopped talking or whimpering or crying. He clung to me and kept his eyes closed tight. I kept running until I found Uncle Cid's street. I hid behind a car when I saw zombies on the other side of the road.

I look at Ventus, trying to make sure he's okay. I nudge him softly and he looks at me. I put a finger to my lips to let him know to stay quiet. He nods slowly, putting a finger to his own lips. I smile lightly and he lays his head back on my shoulder. I heard a gunshot and stood instantly. One of the zombies had fell. Another shot, and the other falls too. I look around, noticing other zombies coming towards the sound. I look to my left and find Cid's house. Uncle Cid himself is standing in the doorway, shotgun in hand. He's laughing as he's shooting.

"Come on, you sons of bitches!" he calls, shooting.

_I have to get to him. _I leaned down and grabbed the handgun off the ground. I had it ready to shoot, ready to make a path to my Uncle's at any cost. There were tons of zombies coming my way, but don't yet see me. I take in a breath and run for it. Cid shoots another zombie down, one that was coming for me. _He sees me?! _

"Vanitas?! Come on, kiddo! Run faster!" he calls, shooting another, just beside me, reaching for me.

I almost fell, just noticing the thing, having remembered Elisa, and how I couldn't move when she had a hold of me. I ignored the memory and kept running. I make it to Cid's porch and Leon comes out of nowhere and pulls me inside. Cid shoots twice more before slamming the door shut. He's breathing heavily and grins at me, "Run this whole way?"

I nod, too out of breath to really answer and his eyes soften as Leon takes Ventus from me.

"And with the kid, too," he says.

Again, I nod. He frowns, "Where's Cloud n' Tifa?"

I shook my head, getting my breath back finally, "Cloud.. He stayed behind, to create a...distraction.."

Cid's eyes darkened, "Foolish move, that was. N' Tifa?"

I cringed, remembering, "She was running with us. Ventus... Got the attention of a small pack.. She let them attack her so we could...get to you."

Leon frowns, "That's noble, but stupid. But nonetheless, I'm glad you two made it. Now, let's get down to business."

Cid moves forward, gun in hand, eyes dark, "Were either of you bit or scratched?"

Leon check Ventus and shakes his head at Cid. Cid's eyes found me, "N' you?"

"I.. I got scratched.." I replied.

He lifts the gun, "No hard feelin's, Vani. But I can't have you becomin' one of those things and putting us in danger."

He cocks the gun, "We'll take care o' the kid, I promise ya that."

My eyes widen and I shake my head, "No, please.. Don't shoot me!"

Leon holds Ventus back when he starts crying, his voice was cold, "Nothing personal, but we can't afford to keep you around if you're infected."


	3. A Promise

**A Promise**

_No, this can't be happening! I'm going to die here.._ I sigh and close my eyes, "Okay, fine. Shoot me, then."

Cid grunts, "Hmph, I expected a bigger fight. Leon, check 'im. No need to kill 'im if it really isn't that bad."

I open my eyes, mouth gaping in disbelief, "What? You're.. Not going to shoot me?"

Cid shrugs, gun still pointed at my head, "Not sure yet. Leon!"

"Cool it, Dad!" Leon huffs, "The kid keeps whining!"

I turn, "Veni Boy, com'mere."

Ventus smiles and runs to me immediately. He wraps his arms around my neck and I sigh, hugging him back, "Can you go stand by Uncle Cid for a few?"

Ventus shakes his head, "No shoot you!"

I glance at Cid and he drops the gun to his side with a sigh, "Com'mere, kid."

Ventus slowly moves from me and walks over to Cid. Then he grabs the barrel of the gun, "No shoot, Vani! Bad Cid, no shoot!"

Cid chuckles, "'Kay, kid."

Leon crouches beside me, "Where's the scratch?"

I pull the side of my collar down so he can see the scratch on my shoulder. He inspects it with narrowed eyes then stands with a sigh, "Barely a nick. he's safe."

Cid visibly relaxes and so do I. I stand and Ventus looks at Cid, "No shoot?"

Cid chuckles, "Nope. Your dear bubby is safe."

"Yay!" Ventus squeals and runs and hugs my waist again.

I chuckle and hug him again. Something hits the door and Ventus yells. I sooth him and look at Cid and Leon. Leon frowns and Cid grunts, "Damn things are at the door."

He grins, "Leon take your cousins to your room. I'm going hunting."

I gasp, "Are you insane?! Those things'll eat you alive!"

He laughs, "Don't worry, I got this!"

I frown as Leon takes us to his room, "Stay in here," he says, closing the door, staying out with Cid.

"Leon!" I gasp, "Stay in here with us!"

"Lee!" Ventus yells.

I shush and sooth him, listening intently to what's happening outside the door. I can hear Cid's laughing and shooting, the moans of the dead, and Leon's banter with his dad. A few minutes later the shooting stops. After another five minutes of so Leon's door opens and he smiles at us, wiping his forehead, "It's safe now."

We move back into the living room and Cid's still laughing softly, "Damn things have no chance against me!"

Leon chuckles, "Dial it down, Dad."

Cid smirks, "Sure thing, son."

"Lee, Lee!" Ventus hugs Leon, who smiles and hugs him back.

I notice the lack of bodies on the floor, but I can see black stains all around. I frown, "Where are the...?"

"Outside, of course. Why n' the world would I want those damn things stinkin' my house up?" Cid replies.

I chuckle uneasily, "Er.. Right.."

Leon sighs, "We won't be able to stay here more than a few days. I'm pretty sure almost the entire town has become those monsters."

I swallow, "Did... Did you see..."

Leon looks at me, "What is it?"

"Spit it out, kid," Cid replies.

I swallow again, "Were any of the monsters..." I close my eyes with a grimace, "...Tifa.. Or.. Cloud...?"

I suddenly felt very sick. Cid sighs, making me open my eyes. I catch his glance and his eyes are soft, "I have yet to see them, kiddo."

I nod, "Good.. I'd hate for Ventus to see them..." I bite my bottom lip, hard, "And run to them... Thinking..."

"They're his parents," Leon finishes, "I get it."

"You wouldn't want to see them either," Cid adds.

I shake my head, "Exactly.."

Cid sighs, "Leon, I suppose you're right, about us not bein' able to stay long."

Leon nods, "What do we do?"

"We'll leave first thing in the morning. Leon, use your school bag and fill it with as much food as you can. Vanitas, use the bag Leon got last year; it's still usable, and fill it with all the medicines and blankets and stuff like that. I'll pack some clothes," Cid commands.

I nod and follow Leon to his room, taking Ventus along with me. Leon dumps the contents of his bag out and throws it to me and he does the same with a second one and heads for the kitchen. I bring Ventus to the bathroom, "Don't move, okay?"

Ventus nods and sits on the side of the tub, kicking his feet back and forth as I put all the medicines I can find into the bag. After I finish that I go about looking for blankets, having Ventus follow me around, too afraid to leave him by himself, lest something happen. I meet back up with Leon and Cid once I'm done and Cid inspects our packing.

"Hm, good work, kiddos. Leave the stuff in the living room. We'll get up early tomorrow and put the stuff in the truck. We'll head out as soon as possible. Well," Cid claps, "Time for bed, kiddies!"

"Where are Ven and I going to sleep?" I ask.

"In Leon's room, of course. Leon, set out a pallet for your cousins. If anything happens, call for me," Cid replies, heading for his own room.

We drop our stuff and head back to Leon's room. I watch as Leon sets out a pallet for Ventus and I. I look at Ventus and he's half asleep. I sigh and lay him down once Leon had finished and I lay beside him. After awhile of just staring at Ven's sleeping face, I finally fall asleep myself. Way too early, I am awaken Leon shaking me, "Come on, Vanitas, get up."

I groan and sit up, and gasp, noticing Ventus ins't beside me anymore, "Ventus?!"

Leon sighs, "Calm down. He's in the living room with Dad."

I sigh, "Sorry, Leon."

He shakes his head, "Don't worry about it. Come on, we gotta get going soon."

I nod and get out off the floor. I rub my eyes, following Leon to the living room. Cid grins, "Mornin', Sleeping Beauty."

I groan, "Morning, Cid."

He sighs, "Ready to pack up. It'll be tricky with those monsters out there."

I nod, "I'll do whatever you want."

Cid nods, "Good, 'cause this won't be easy. Since Leon and I are more experienced with fighting, I'll pack the stuff. Leon, you'll help these two get into the truck. Actually just the lil' one. My truck isn't big enough for all four of us. You n' Vanitas will have to stay in the back with the stuff. Mind the monsters."

Leon nods, "Got it."

Cid nods and puts all three bags on his shoulders and pulls out a knife. He grins, throwing me the knife, "Oh, Vani, here. Happy birthday, kiddo."

I catch it, sheath and all, "Thanks. But I don't know how to use it."

"Leon'll take care of that in a bit. Now, Vanitas, make as much noise as you can near the back of the house to keep those things away from me. Leon, keep the front door open for me, shoot anything that gets too close to me, or you," Cid commands, pulling out a knife of his own.

I take Ventus with me and we hit the walls in the very back of the house and yelling. After about fifteen minutes of that Leon calls out, "Knock it off back there!" Then a shot goes off. I pull Ventus from the wall and we run back to the living room. Cid is there, breathing somewhat heavily. He grins at me, "Good job, but you got too many of them around here. Leon n' I'll have to knock 'em out before you two can get to the truck."

I nod, "Okay. Sorry.."

"Don't worry about it," Leon replies.

He and Cid go outside and I watch them from the window. They swiftly take out the monsters, and it amazes me, how fast they are. Once most of the monsters are lying dead on the ground, Leon comes in to get us, "Come on, _hurry!_"

I pick Ventus up, holding the knife, unsheathed, in my other hand, and follow Leon outside. He runs to the truck, opening the door. Cid's sitting in the driver's seat, "Just throw the kid in!"

Leon rolls his eyes and takes Ventus from me, sitting him in the seat, and even taking the liberty of putting my kid brother's seat belt on. I smile softly and Ven waves to me as Leon closes the door. I wave back, but then Ventus yells and I send him a look of confusion. Leon turns and gasps, "_Move!_" He swiftly pushes me aside, sending me into the side of the truck.

I fall with a grunt, hitting my head against the side of the truck bed. Leon stabs the zombie, whom I recognize to be Ellie Frazier, my neighbor's niece. She's seventeen, or was, I guess. Leon takes her out with ease, then he pulls me up, "Get into the truck bed, now!"

I do as he says and he follows me. I sit against the glass and frown. Leon sits beside me and taps the glass. The truck starts and we head for the town exit. I watch as we drive away from town. I watch the monsters coming after us, but we're driving too fast for them to get us. I pick out individuals I can name from memory, though it's hard for some, considering the blood and flesh torn from their skin.

I sigh in relief, not finding my parents among the walking dead. I glance at Leon, who's staring off in space. I open my mouth to say something, but think better of it. _That's a conversation for another time._ I speak this time, finding a somewhat better conversation topic, "When are you going to teach me to use this?"

I hold up the knife and he looks at me, eyes somewhat narrowed, as if he's trying to focus, "Soon. For now, just try to relax, get some sleep if you can. We have a long way ahead of us."

He sighs and leans back some, closing his eyes. I try to do the same, but I can't keep the image of Elisa, about to eat me; Tifa, shouting at me to run; and Cloud, making me promise to protect Ventus, out of my head. I open my eyes and glance around. We finally leave town, and so far, along the countryside, I don't see any zombies. At least that's a refreshing scenery. No monsters wanting to tear the flesh from my bones. _Relax? Hardly. _

* * *

For the next couple of months, we lived in the truck, sort of. Cid always slept in the bed of the truck, keeping us three where it's safe. It was cramped, but better than nothing. We were always on the go. Every morning before we set out again, (always avoiding towns) Leon would teach me knife techniques, and where to stab the zombs to kill them, even different ways to go about doing so.

It helped, and I wasn't too bad at it. We lived like that for three months. But then I made a mistake. Ventus had caught something, and I wouldn't allow Cid to pass up the opportunity to find stuff to help him. None of the medicine I had packed were doing anything, so I insisted on going to a pharmacy to find stuff that would. It was against our number one rule: _Staying out of towns._

I made a fuss, I wouldn't let him drive away. I made a promise to Cloud to keep Ven alive, and I wouldn't let him die by illness. So I had Leon with me, and we ventured into a small town, but it had a hospital. Leon said I was stupid, but I wouldn't let it go. We went in together, cleared out a whole section of medicines and then we were ambushed by the zombs. Leon and I got most of them down quickly and Leon made a run for the exit. He stopped when he noticed I wasn't with him and he called to me. I threw him my bag and told him to run, to get back to Cid. He wanted to help me but I refused.

I made him promise to keep Ventus alive, and I kept taking down the zombs, hoping to give him a way out. He promised and ran. I kept taking them out until none were left in the hospital. Knowing I was alone then, I hid away in the hospital cafeteria. I used various things to block the entries once I was inside, taking out anything in my way. Once everything was set up to keep me safe, I stayed. I stayed until I couldn't any longer, and that was eight years later.


	4. Part Two: Remembrance

**Remembrance**

I can still remember what he looked like. My brother. I can remember the very sound of his voice. I know I was young, but I just can't forget him. I still remember the day Leon told us he was "gone." Did that mean he was dead? Or did he turn? Is he still alive? No one knows. Who could? It's been eight years since I saw him. Uncle Cid, Leon, and I have lived in the truck for six years amazingly.

Until the gas finally dried up and we had to abandon the truck. That was hard, considering it was our only protection against the monsters this world created. That, and our weapons. It was horrible, the day we had to leave the truck behind, and lug all our stuff around. It wasn't having to lug the stuff, it was the ambush of zombs that attacked as soon as we left the truck.

Leon and I got away, but Uncle Cid didn't make it. I tried to help him, but Leon pulled me away and we ran for it. We took shelter in a small convenience store, taking out the only three zombs and blocked the door. We stayed there a few days, until the zombs moved away. It's been hard, having no vehicle or protection, but Leon and I managed to survive.

I tried to get Leon to talk about Cid, but he gives me these looks, and they make me feel like I have to shut up. I tried asking about Vanitas, he gives the same looks, but I don't give in. Vanitas is my brother, I deserved to know about him. Leon wouldn't give, so I withheld my questions, for awhile anyway. We moved slow, and never at night. We avoided any place Leon thought would have a horde, or more than three really.

We were very limited. We only had our knives and Leon's gun, which was low on ammo. We couldn't afford to have to use it. Eight years ago, I lost my parents and brother. Six years ago, I lost my Uncle. I only had Leon left, and I know I can't make it in this world alone, even with all he's taught me. So here we are, walking along the road, watching out for any zombs. I'm twelve now, so I guess that makes Leon twenty-one. I sigh softly and he turns to me, "Something wrong, Ven?"

I shake my head, but my stomach gives me away and I groan, "Guess I'm hungry.."

He chuckles softly and shrugs off his bag, "I might still have some food left. We'll loot another store soon. Can you hold out for a few days, at least?"

I nod and he hands me a pack of crackers. He looks at me, looking grim, "Sorry, kiddo, it's all I got."

I smile at him, "It'll do just fine. We'll get to eat soon enough."

That's how tings were. We hardly ate, trained a lot, and took whatever we could find when we found a store to hide in. We always hid in the first store we found, we can't afford to be out in the dark. I had asked Leon once why we couldn't, and he said he had made a promise once. I didn't understand, I still don't. Finally, a store came in sight after hours of walking. We haven't seen a single zomb. That's never happened. We always at least see one miles off.

Leon frowns, "Something isn't right. When was the last time we saw a zombie?"

I frown, "Yesterday at noon. There was only one, and it looked like someone had already tried to kill it. Where was the person?"

"Exactly. Someone's been through here already," Leon replies.

I look at him and he glances at me, "What?"

"Do you think we're in danger?"

"We're always in danger, kid," he says.

I groan, "I know, but what's going on here? Are in we in danger of something _here, right now?_"

He sighs, "I'm not sure yet. Just don't let your guard down."

I roll my eyes, "I never let my guard down."

He growls softly, "Don't get smart with me, Ventus."

I wince slightly, "Sorry.."

He sighs again, he's always so tense. I suppose I am, too, though. We kept walking, he seemed lost in thought, so I looked our for any zombs, or even real people. I saw another person once. We were in the truck, I couldn't sleep. It had only been three months since Vanitas disappeared. I saw her, she ran by, then came back, blinking at me.

I smiled and waved at her. She started crying. She tried to open the door but it was locked, and I didn't know how to unlock it yet. (Uncle Cid's idea to not teach me to press the unlock button on his side of the truck.) She was young, maybe eighteen or so, I guess old to me then? Anyway, she tried to talk to me, but I couldn't really hear her well. I kept smiling like a little idiot, though.

When I finally heard something she said, more people came running at her, and I ducked down so no one could see me. I pretended to be asleep. I know she tried to open the door again, but she left with the other people. I told Leon about it the next day, but he told me I had been dreaming, that no one alive was left. It was my fault for believing him. I know there are still people alive, now. But it doesn't help that I haven't seen one since then.

The dead fill my mind all the time, and I don't want them there. I nudge Leon when I see a zombie, about ten feet from us (Where did it come from?) and he pulls his knife immedietly. I pull out mine as well. We wait for the zomb to get closer to us, and when it finally does, Leon lunges, lodging the lade into the thing's eye. It falls limp and he pulls the knife back, wiping the blade on his pant leg. I sigh, putting my knife back.

"We need to keep going. We have to get to that store before it gets dark. It's still pretty far away, come on, Ven," Leon orders.

I follow him, picking up the bag he had shrugged off when the zomb got close. Shouldering both loads was killing my shoulders, but I didn't say anything to Leon. We made it to the store, but Leon didn't let me open the door. He glares at the door, then at the windows. He takes a quick look around and whispers, "Notice anything?"

I make a face of disgust, speaking softly, "There's dead zombs all around the store."

"Exactly," he replies quietly, "It's camouflage. The dead won't come around here, try to enter, I mean, if they smell their kind. They can't tell these guys are dead."

I nod, "I get it."

He looks at me, "Do you? Then what does this mean?"

"Humans," I reply.

He nods, looking back to the windows, "Humans. That could be the problem."

I look at him, "What do you mean?"

He frowns, "Since this thing started, the living aren't much better than the dead. They only care for themselves, and hardly in an entire group. I haven't seen an entire group in years, and they tried to feed one of their own to the zombs to get away. I would never want to be with people like that. I'm okay traveling with you. You're blood, and you're only a child. I trust you with my life, and I swore to protect you with it, too."

"That promise you mentioned once," I venture, "It was _him_, wasn't it? You promised my brother you'd protect me, didn't you?"

Leon faces me completely and he nods, "Yeah, I did. That night he stayed behind to help me escape with the medicine for you. He made me promise to keep you alive."

"Do you think he's still alive?" I ask.

Leon nods, "I do, and it's strange. I know there's a huge possibility he's dead, but a part of me believes, or rather wants to believe, that he's somehow still alive. Even if he is alive, it's highly unlikely that he'll find us. We're miles, _states_, away from where he was. He'd need a miracle to find us."

"He'll find us. I have to believe he'd come back for us. He made me a promise," I reply, "He promised to always be there for me."

Leon smiles slightly, his eyes guarded, "Kid, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that not all promises can be kept."

I frown slightly, and then something came to me. We had stopped whispering when we discovered humans were about somewhere. And I didn't notice, until the store door opened and a man was standing there, two guns in our faces, "Don't move!"

Despite his warning, I moved slightly to get a glance at him. He was wearing a ratty old uniform and he had an eye patch. He had multiple scars covering his face, too. I could just barely see someone behind him, a child, maybe barely older than me.

"Put down your weapons, slowly," the man said. I glanced at Leon, trying to figure out what to do. Leon had something in mind when he said, "Get those guns out of our faces and we just might do what you ask. If you say 'please.'"

Was he messing with this guy? He didn't look happy. Instead of putting the guns down, he cocked them and snarled, "I'll tell you one more time. Put your weapons down, slowly."

I really didn't want to be shot, so I slowly reached for the knife hanging in its sheath around my belt. (Vanitas' belt. Leon gave me Vanitas' packed clothes once I could fit. We looted everywhere else for clothes that fit us as we grew.) I withdrew the knife, my eyes never leaving the man before us. He glances at me and he has a funny look on his face. Does he think I'm going to try and attack? I slowly knelt down and placed the knife at my feet, then stood again, "Okay?"

My word was a whisper, I barely realized I had said it. He ignores me then and turns to Leon. Leon pulls the knife from his sheath and flat drops it. The clang it makes against the pavement makes me wince. He then moves and shrugs the gun off his shoulder, dropping that, too. The sound that makes also makes me wince. I don't like being out here unprotected.

The man looks satisfied, but keeps the gun on us. The child behind him moves and pushes out of the doorway, coming face-to-face with us. The kid is actually about a year or two older than me, I can tell by his height and the features of his face. He has a soft blue colored hair and ice blue eyes. He's wearing some kind of school uniform?

"Isa, what are you doing?" the man hisses.

The kid, Isa, frowns slightly, "This one's no older than I am, Braig."

The man, Braig looks to me and frowns, "So?"

Isa turns his cool gaze on Braig, "So, don't kill him. These two have done nothing to try and harm us."

"So? You know no one in this world can be trusted anymore!" Braig growls.

Isa shakes his head, looking back at me. He tilts his head slightly, "What's your name?"

"You don't have to answer that," Leon replies before I can.

Isa looks at Leon, "I suppose you two know each other?"

Leon glares at him, "He's my cousin."

Isa nods, "Blood relation. Always the strongest. Tell me, what are you doing here?"

"We're just passing along. We have no where to stay,"

"Ventus!" Leon hisses.

I wince,_ Was I not supposed to answer? _Isa smiles slightly, "You can stay here. For the night, at least."

"Isa!" Braig looks confused and angry, "What are you doing?!"

"They're all alone, Braig. They don't even know where they plan to go. Letting them stay one night won't kill anyone," Isa replies.

Braig glares at Leon and I, "It better not."

"Pick up your weapons, we're not going to shoot you," Isa says, then he turns to Braig again, "Right?"

Braig groans, putting the guns in holsters on his waist, "Right."

Leon and I retrieve our weapons from the ground and then follow Isa and Braig inside. Isa closes the door, sliding a bar through the door handles as he does. I look around, and find nothing special. Just two sleeping bags on the floor in one of the isles and ammo boxes sitting around one. A part of me expected more people, I guess Leon did, too, "Are you two alone?"

"No at all," Isa replies, turning to us, "We have three more people, but they're on a run right now."

"A run?" I ask.

He nods, "Yes. They went in search of food and stuff. The store doesn't have much food left in it."

_Wow.. A group of people, surviving in a small convenience store. Hopefully these people will be more like Isa and less like Braig._


	5. Amazement

**Amazement**

_"Ven? Veni Boy, where'd you go?" Vanitas laughs, looking around. _

_I can see him from where I'm hiding in his closet. He turns to my hiding place. He smiles, throwing the doors open, "I found you!"_

_"Vani!" I laugh, my voice is young, barely four._

_Something changes. Vanitas changes. I look up at him. he stares down at me. His hair is dirty and matted. His clothes are shredded and covered in blood. He reaches for me and his arms are caked in blood and dirt. I look at him, confused. His face is covered in fresh blood. He snarls at me and I look up into his eyes, "Vani..?"_

_His eyes are a dirty grey color and I whimper, "Vani...?"_

_He reaches down and grabs my arm, slumping down beside me. I blink, "Let go. Vani, that's too tight.."_

_I'm trembling and he leans down and _bites_ into my arm. I can hear a scream, but it isn't mine. It's Mom's._

_"Mommy!" I cry._

_She won't stop screaming. _Vanitas make her stop screaming! _Behind my brother I can see Mom being bitten into by a bunch of zombs. I am barely aware of Vanitas still eating my arm. Strangely, it doesn't hurt. I can hear gunshots, they're so loud! I can see Dad in the doorway, shooting, but he isn't hitting anything. He looks at me, "Run!"_

_"What?" I ask._

_He shakes his head and leaves the room._

_"Daddy, come back!" I gasp._

_I turn and Vanitas has stopped eating me. He's staring at me. Still a creature. The unsettling thing is, he smiles at me, "I'll always be there to protect you, Ven."_

_A piercing shriek shatters my eardrums._

* * *

"Ventus!" Leon hisses into my ear, "Ventus, wake up!"

"Shut that kid up!" Braig growls.

"Is he okay?" I can barely hear Isa ask.

Leon shakes me and I gasp, opening my eyes. Leon stares at me, he looks worried. His voice is quiet and soft, "Ven?"

I cough, trembling. I squeeze my eyes shut and clutch Leon's shirt. Leon sighs and rubs my back. He whispers to me, "That dream again?"

I nod against him, tears spilling from my eyes. He sighs again, pushing me gently off him, "Was it different this time?"

I nod again, taking a trembling breath of air, "It started in our house... Vanitas and I were playing hide and seek.. When he found me he...he..."

I close my eyes and shiver. Leon pats my back, "It's okay. Was there anything else?"

"Dad was there this time," I say, looking back at him, "He was shooting, but hitting nothing. He told me to run. I don't understand. That couldn't have been a memory. It couldn't have. What was it doing there...?"

I wiped my face and Leon sighs softly, "Dreams don't have to make sense. They voice our fears, confusion, and passions. You remember how I kept having nightmares after Dad died?"

I nodded and he continues, "We all need time to grieve. You're still young, yet you've lost so still need time. It may take forever, but you'll make it through this. Trust me."

I sigh, knowing he's right, "Okay.. Thanks, Leon."

He nods, hugging me, "Try to get some more sleep. It's still late."

I nodded and lied back down. I closed my eyes and tried, but sleep wouldn't grace me. I could hear Isa and Leon talking.

"Who's Vanitas?"

"His brother."

"What happened to him?"

"We're not sure."

"Is he like them?"

"We don't know."

"What would you do if he was?"

"Get rid of it before he could see it. It would only hurt him more."

"That's sensible. Does he have any parents?"

"His mother was killed by zombs. We don't know anything about his father."

"What about your parents?"

"My Mom died of Tuberculosis when i was twelve. My Dad was killed by zombs when I was nineteen."

"So you're all alone."

"Yeah.."

"You could stay with us. Don't worry, not all of us are like Braig. He's just angry. He lost his wife a few days ago. She tried to fight off a biter. She went off on her own and never came back. We found her though. Braig had to put her down."

Braig's voice comes in, sounding angry, "Don't speak of her like that! She wasn't a dog."

"Sorry, I just thought he should know why you were being such a mean spirit yesterday," Isa replies.

"We should get some sleep," Leon says quietly. Silence fills the store, so I assume they agree with Leon. I tried to sleep, too, and finally did. Though my nightmares still haunt my every hour.

* * *

I woke to Leon shaking me, "Wake up, Ventus."

I nod slowly and sit up, rubbing my face, "What time is it?"

"Late morning," Leon replies, pulling me to my feet.

He packs my stuff quickly and hands be my bag, "We're leaving before their people show up."

"Why?" I yawn, "Isa doesn't seem bad."

"No, but I don't trust Braig, and who knows what will happen once the others get back. We have to be going," he replies.

I sigh, "Okay, but can we get some food first? I'm starving.."

"The food here is theirs," he says, "We can't take it. We'll have to find some elsewhere."

"I need food now, though," I say.

Leon groans, "Don't start whining, Ventus, you're not a baby."

I frown, "Leon, I'm starving.."

Leon sighs. I look around, frowning as well, "Where are Isa and Braig?"

"They're outside. Look, Ven, we can't take their food. We have to go now. We'll get food the next place we stop," Leon states.

I sigh, "Okay, Leon.."

Leon and I gather our stuff and open the door, stepping out into the light. Braig glances at us and groans. Isa looks at us, "Leaving so soon?"

"We can't stay here, this place is already taken," Leon replies.

Isa looks slightly surprised, "Where will you go?"

"We'll find somewhere," Leon says.

"At least wait until the others get back. We can give you some supplies. I'd hate to leave you off with nothing. I'd feel bad. Not everything in this world has to be heartless," Isa replies.

Now it was Leon's turn to be shocked, "Are you serious?"

Braig glares at Isa, but he ignores the older guy, "Yes. I did let you stay the night. Letting you have some preparations can't be that bad."

Leon nods slowly, "Okay.."

"Thank you, Isa," I say for Leon.

Isa nods and turns from us, "Oh! Looks like they're coming back!"

"'Bout time," Braig rolls his eyes, guns in hands, he smirks at me, "In case any biters are pursuing."

I watch as three people run across the field, but I can't see any zombs following. It doesn't take long for the three to get to us, one of them looks no older than Isa. He has green eyes and bright red spikes for hair. He's wearing a uniform, too, just like Isa's. Beside him is and older woman with blond hair, wearing jeans and a plain T-shirt and boots. And finally there's a guy who's taller and more built than Braig. This guy wears the same uniform, and he has long black dreadlocks, tied back.

The woman looks at us and frowns, "Who the hell are you two?"

"I'm Leon, this is Ventus," Leon replies coolly.

"They stayed the night last night. They'll be leaving soon, but I think we should give them a few of our things. They deserve at least a good start on survival," Isa explains.

"Kid's nuts," Braig groans.

The red haired kid grins, "That ice heart of yours finally thawin', Isa?"

"Shut up, Lea," Isa crosses his arms.

Lea laughs, "Right, so what am i supposed to give them? Dilan?"

The guy with the dreadlocks looks at Lea, "hm, just give them half of what you have. We brought back plenty of food."

Lea nods and pulls off his back, going through it, throwing things out. When he's done he shoves the stuff towards Leon, "Here 'ya go."

Leon nods his thanks and packs the stuff away.

"Thanks," I reply for him, my cousin has no idea how to thank people.

The blond woman takes off her backpack and pulls medicines from it. She hands them to me, almost smiling. I take it, packing it away, "Thanks, uh.."

"Arlene," she says.

I nod, "Thanks, Arlene."

Dilan hands me a few blankets and I pack them in Leon's bag. Braig turns to us, "There, you have stuff, now hit the road!"

"Be nice," Isa frowns, then he turns to me, "You two stay safe, okay? And.."

He frowns and so do I, "Yes..? Isa..?"

He looks back at me, "I hope you find him."

I knew exactly what he meant, and I smile, "Thanks, so do I."

Leon and I said our goodbyes to the five teens living in the convenience store, and we head off. We walked for hours, daylight was leaving us behind, and we haven't found a single settlement. I frown, _This isn't good. We need a place to stay. Before the zombs find us._ Suddenly Leon stops and I end up running into him. I back up a step, "Leon?"

"Ventus, look," he says.

I move from behind him and gasp at what I see. Lying on the ground is a zomb, dead. It's been stabbed through the head, obviously. I kneel beside it, "How long do you think it's been dead?"

Leon frowns, "I'm not sure. Maybe a day?"

"So, who killed it?" I ask.

"I'm not sure. That may be the problem. And besides, we need to keep going. It'll be dark soon," Leon replies.

I glance around and gasp, "Leon!"

There were more dead bodies, at least five, no more than ten feet from us. Each one was spaced out in a line. Leon frowns, "Who would take the time to do this?"

I stand, "I don't know."

Leon just frowns and keeps walking. I adjust the bag I'm wearing, and I follow after him. We pass the bodies and I shiver. _Even dead, these things give me the creeps. And to think, they were people once..._ I shake my head and focus on looking for any more zombs, or even the person that did this. The thought that we'd be stuck out here in the dark horrifies me, but there's no buildings in sight. It's against our rules to travel at night, but it looks like we might have to.

Leon frowns, "It'll be too dark to keep going soon," he looks around, "There's nothing here. We'll have to stay the night here. Do you have the tent packed?"

"It's in your bag, I think," I reply, looking around nervously.

He nods and checks his bag, he does have the tent. We set the tent and get inside, zipping it up. Leon sighs and settles down on his sleeing bag, "Keep that door zipped. Zombs don't know how to open it. If a zomb does get in, kill it, don't hesitate."

I nod, "I got it. Kill, don't hesitate."

He looks at me and I frown slightly, "What?"

He sighs, "What are we going to be? In this world?"

I frown, thinking it over. Then I smile, "We'll be alive, Leon. We'll be alive."

He nods, laying down fully, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

He closes his eyes and I do the same. Something wakes me and I rub my eyes, sitting up, "Leon?" I mutter softly.

I turn to see Leon asleep in his sleeping bag. Something ruffles the side of the tent and I turn towards the sound, shaking. Outside, just beside me, something is pushing and scratching against the fabric. I swallow, trying to see if I can recognize the zomb, but of course I can't see through the fabric, not to mention it's dark. I look around for my knife and find it by my bag. I pull the knife from its sheath and slowly get out of my sleeping bag.

I swallow again, moving to the door of the tent. One hand on the zipper, one hand on my knife, I'm shaking. _What if there are more than one zomb? I've never fought more than one at a time. _I swallow again, trying to get a hold of my nerves. I watched the zomb move from the tent, disappearing from my sigh, which is limited. I hold my breath, waiting to see if it comes back.

I yell and jump back when a (the same one?) zomb hits the tent door. I fall back to the ground. I shake my head, scrambling around to find my knife, which I had dropped when I fell. The zomb keeps hitting the tent, and the door starts to rip. I gasp, looking at the door. Through the rib, I can see a hand reaching through. Maybe a girl's hand? Does that matter? _Where's my knife?!_ I keep looking, but I can't find it. I look back at the zomb at the sound of more ripping and what I see makes me stop.

"Mom..." I breathe.

I thought I'd never see her again, and here she was, trying to break in to eat me. Her face is covered in blood and dirt and maybe soot. Her eyes are just like all the rest. Her arms and left shoulder are covered in bite marks and her clothes are dirty and ragged. _How did she get here?_ I know I have to move, but I can't. I'm frozen in shock and fear. I have to wake Leon, but I can't get up. The door rips and she falls through, landing between Leon and I.

She sits up slowly, and instantly her eyes zero in on me. I still can't move. I would scream, if I wasn't afraid of summoning more. Mom growls and I can't do more than just stare at her and she turns towards me, one of her blood covered arms grips my shoulder. I move to push her off, but decide against it. If I pushed her, she'd land on Leon. He'd be helpless. _Damn you, Leon, for being a heavy sleeper! We're going to die here!_

Finally finding my knife, I stabbed at her, but missed. The knife lodged itself into her neck. I gasp and try to pin her other arm down, so she can't try to scratch me. Using my other hand, I press against her chest, keeping her mouth from me. This won't help me long. I struggle like that for a few minutes before another zomb appears in the doorway. I gasp, watching him.

Just as suddenly as he had appeared, the zomb falls, knife lodged in its head. I had to look back at Mom, to push her back a little, my hand had slipped. I gasp as a knife sticks out of her forehead, spraying me with blood. I gag and wipe my face, releasing her. The knife leaves her and her body slumps over. Someone behind her lifts her body and tosses it out of the tent, taking the other body with it.

I gasp, opening my eyes, watching this person move. I rush from the tent, looking around. No more zombs were in sight, and the mystery person was setting the two bodies in a line. I walk up to him and he's staring down at Mom. I swallow and reach up, pulling the hood from the boy's head. I gasp, backing away from him. He turns and faces me. He smiles, "You're alive. Ventus."

I fall back, staring at him in amazement. This eighteen-year-old boy was easy recognizable. I bite my lip then whisper, "You... Can't be... Vanitas...?"

He nods and tears spill from my eyes and I shake, pulling myself to my feet. I wrap my arms around him and cry.


	6. Welcome Home, Brother

**A/N: It's been a crazy few days, the holidays and such. Well, here's an update just for my readers. Enjoy and review nicely, dearies! **

* * *

**Welcome Home, Brother**

"I can't believe you have the nerve to come here," Leon says as I pretend to sleep.

"You're angry with me?" Vanitas asks in bewilderment.

"You have no idea what you put us through!" Leon replies with a growl.

"I can't believe you're trying to blame me. I didn't think you'd lose Cid," Vanitas sighs.

"That has nothing to do with it. Can't you even understand? Vanitas, I had to _leave_ you behind! I had to tell my father, and _your brother_ that you were gone! I couldn't even tell them you died, or anything like that, I just said _gone._ Ventus cries out for you. Every night since you made me leave you. Every night I had to sooth him. I had to _keep it from him_ that you were alive when I left. I told Dad you were _bit_, and that's why I left you. But I _couldn't_ tell Ventus that," Leon explains.

"I never asked you to_ tell_ them anything. I _asked_ you to keep my brother alive, and you _did_," Vanitas replies softly.

"You _don't_ get it!" Leon says angrily, "When we had to leave the truck, I had to _leave Dad behind!_ He wasn't bitten like I told Ventus.."

_What?!_ I sit up instantly, turning towards Leon and Vanitas, who are sitting outside the tent.

"He wasn't bit..?" Vanitas asks softly, "Then.. What happened?"

"We were leaving the truck, taking bags. A herd came around the corner. We were sitting ducks. Dad threw me his bag and his shotgun. He told me to get Ventus and run. I hesitated. I was going to stay, but Ventus wasn't able to fight, obviously. I hesitated and Dad took the fall for me. He let those monsters get him so Ventus and I could escape. He wasn't bitten. He was fighting, he had his knife. He was still fighting, even winning, but it kept them busy, so I took Ventus and I ran," Leon replies.

"I'm sorry, Leon," Vanitas says.

"No, you're not," Leon retorts, "If you were sorry, you wouldn't have left us at all. If we had you then, Dad would be alive now!"

"Leon, I can't say I disagree with you, but I _am_ sorry that Cid got left behind. But Ventus is alive, I'm alive, you're alive. Can't we just be happy to even be here?" Vanitas says.

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't here. I wish I would have just died that first time," Leon mutters.

I leave the tent, "Don't say that."

Leon gasps softly, looking at me, "How much did you hear?"

I sigh, "Enough."

Vanitas stands, "I'm sorry,"

I look at him, "To me or to him?"

"To the both of you," he replies, "I shouldn't have left. But I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Well you weren't," I frown, "I lost Mom and Dad. I couldn't handle losing you, too. And then Uncle Cid.. He's probably _gone_ now, too."

I used the word "gone" specifically to hurt Leon. He had no right to keep Vanitas' life away from me. He could have told me Vanitas was alive when he left. He could have told me he left Vanitas to help me. Leon looks at me, he's hurt, and that's what I wanted. Vanitas sighs and picks up Leon's bag, "We should get going soon. Help me pack your stuff, Leon."

Leon gets up slowly and heads inside the tent. I follow him, packing my own things. I listen to Vanitas moving about outside as I clean up my mess. I frown at my blanket.

"You're going to need a new one," Leon says softly, "You got zomb blood all over it."

"Not my fault," I grunt, hauling the thing outside.

Vanitas looks from it to me, "Sorry about that."

I sigh, heading back into the tent, "Lots of 'sorry' going around, Vanitas."

I finish packing my things before Leon does, so I help Vanitas pull the tent down. I put the tent in my bag, since it's less full since my sleeping bag is staying here.

"Leave the tent. It's ripped," Leon says, finishing his packing.

I nod and pull it from my bag, dropping it by my sleeping bag. I put the bag on my back with a frown, "Looks like we'll need more supplies."

"We always need more supplies," Leon says, "Let's go."

Vanitas watches us as we start to head off, and I stop, realizing he isn't coming. I turn to him, eyes wide, "You're coming with us, aren't you?"

He shakes his head, "No, I don't think so, Ven. You've lasted without me for a long while, you can keep lasting."

"You called me Ven.." I star at him.

He shrugs, "Yeah, so?"

"You haven't called me Ven ever.. It was always Ventus, or Veni.." I frown, "New nickname?"

My voice was shaky, and his eyes softened, "You're too old for 'Veni Boy.' I figured Ven would suit you better."

I nod, "I like it, but.."

I shake my head, tears filling my eyes, "You have to come with us! I can't lose you again! _Never_ again!"

Vanitas sighs, "Ventus, you don't understand. You're not a kid anymore, you don't need me around."

"Shut up, Vanitas, you're not helping," Leon frowns.

Vanitas frowns as well, "What?"

"He needs you, Vanitas. Hell, I needed you. We need each other to survive, Vanitas. I know you've been alone, moving when you wanted to, stopping, doing whatever it took to survive. But it's different now. You found us, and even I'm not going to let you leave. As angry as I am with you, you're still family," Leon replies.

Vanitas' frown deepens, "Leon, you don't understand-"

"Stop. No more! You're coming with us, Vanitas, no hearsay. It's not a choice," I add.

Vanitas sighs, "Okay, I'll come."

There's something in his eyes, but I can't place it. He's hiding something from us. _What could it be? _We move together, keep going for hours until the sun was setting. There wasn't a single building in sight, and we didn't have anything for protection now. I can't sleep on the ground, out in the open again. I'm too afraid of the zombs. Too afraid to wake up all alone. I just found my brother, I can't lose him again. I can't lose Leon either. I _can't. _

"We can't risk another night in the open," Leon frowns.

"What do you suppose we do? There's nothing here but woods, and I've been through the woods, it's full of them," Vanitas replies, "They hide there, some wander out, but most stay there. They don't move if they don't find anything sometimes."

"Are you serious? They just stand there?" I ask.

He nods, "I've seen it. If they don't hear or see, or even smell you, they will just stand there. I've seen it when I was tracking."

"Tracking?" Leon asks, "What were you tracking?"

Vanitas looks at me instead of Leon, "I was tracking Tifa. When I was held up in the hospital, I watched the windows, watching for any walkers I knew. I found a few. Some old friends, neighbors. Then I saw Tifa. I followed her, and the others I knew. I took them out, one by one. I buried them, too. Tifa kept evading me somehow, but I kept following. I rook out any walker that got in my way. It took three years for her to show up. Five more to finally end her. I kept losing sight of her, but I didn't quit. I didn't want to risk you seeing her. But I messed up. I lost her for too long. You saw her. You couldn't end her.

"You were afraid. You were shocked. I should have been quicker, then you wouldn't have saw her. I got caught up. I saw your tent, I didn't know it was you, though. Then another walker came for you. I didn't want anyone to be hurt, so I rushed over. I killed the man in the doorway. That's when I saw Tifa, and when I saw you. I moved quickly. I ended her so you wouldn't have to.

I.. I didn't want you to know I was there, so I kept my hood on, stayed out of the moonlight. But you found me out anyway. You know, Ven, I could have just told you I wasn't Vanitas. I could have ignored you. But I couldn't. I missed you too much. I love you too much. I can't lie though, I do want to leave you. I know you're safe with Leon. And there's something I have to find out, on my own."

"What do you need to find out? Why can't we find it together?" I ask.

"I can't tell you," he frowns.

Leon frowns again, "We don't have secrets, Vanitas."

"I do," he says.

"Vanitas, how can we trust you if you keep things from us?" Leon asks.

"That's the thing," Vanitas smiles slightly, "You can't."

"Vanitas.." I frown, "Please, don't push us out. We _need_ you."

"You don't need me anymore, Ventus. You're a big boy now," he replies.

"No," I shake my head, "I'll always need you. I've been without you for too long."

He shakes his head now, "No, Veni Boy, you won't."

I cross my arms, staring at the road, "I thought I was too old for that name."

"Old habits die hard," he says, "We should keep moving."

"We should.." Leon mutters.

We move in silence, looking around for a place we can stay for the night, and zombs, so we can kill them and keep ourselves safe. I watch the woods, frowning as I can make out a few outlines of zombs, just within the trees. They might come after us, they're a threat. Everything is a threat Leon used to say. We keep moving, but our movements are slow. _Leon and Vanitas are moving slow so we don't attract them! _

I move like them, but keep my eyes on the shapes in the trees. Some move slowly, aimlessly, some just stand, unable to see us for what we are. I swallow and look at Vanitas. He's staring into space, following behind Leon. I look forward, to Leon, and he's moving slow, looking forward in determination. I have to break the silence, I can't take it, just the faint moans of the dead, "Are you still determined to keep us alive, Leon?"

He looks at me, "I'm always determined to keep us alive."

"Keep your voices down," Vanitas says, watching the trees now, "You've attracted some."

I look towards the trees and about five or six zombs have moved towards us. They're still a few hundred feet from us, but I still worried. I look around and gasp, "There's more!"

Surely enough, more had ventured from the trees, a cluster of seven or so. They're coming from everywhere. Leon grabs my hand and jerks me forward, "We have to move, there's too many of them now!"

We take off running, I make sure Vanitas is right behind us, and we keep running. The cluster of monsters follows us and we don't stop.

"We can't run forever!" Vanitas huffs.

"We have to find shelter!" Leon replies.

We pick up speed, and soon I can just barely see a building ahead, and I point it out to Leon. We head for the building, which seems to be some kind of old cabin. We get to it, and just as I'm about to pull the door open, Leon stops me. I look at him and he shakes his head, "There might be zombs, or people."

"That pack is getting awfully close, Leon!" Vanitas hisses, holding a knife out to protect himself.

Leon pushes me behind him, and he pulls the door open. Nothing stirs inside, and he moves in, "Come on.."

I follow him inside, pulling out my knife, as well. Vanitas comes in after me, and he closes the door, setting aboard through the door handles. Leon moves slowly, examining everything for signs of life, or death. We go through most of the cabin without finding anything. Until I turn a corner and find a knife in my face.

"B-back up.." the shaky girl's voice says.

"Kairi, what's-" Behind the girl a little older than me with red hair and blue eyes wearing jeans and a pink turtleneck sweater is a boy about her age with brown spikes like Vanitas' with bluer eyes wearing a black T-shirt and jeans frowns, holding up a handgun, "Who are you three?"

I put my hands up in surrender, "Don't hurt us. We didn't know you were here.."

"We have nowhere to go. We're running from walkers out there. We were chased here by a herd," Vanitas adds.

The one that looks like Vanitas frowns, "A herd? Damn.."

The girl, Kairi, looks at the boy behind her, "What do we do?"

"We'll clear them out in the morning. You three can stay, but just for the night. We have another friend, he's on a run right now. He should be back by morning. I suggest you three be gone by then. He doesn't take well to strangers." he replies.

Leon answers then, "Thank you. Where can we stay?"

"There's an empty room over there, one we're not using. We all stay in the same room. Easier to keep ourselves alive if we're together." the boy replies.

"Thanks," I say, heading towards the room.

"I assume the house is clear?" Vanitas asks.

"Yes, we wouldn't live with those things," Kairi replies.

Leon and Vanitas follow me. We go into the empty room and Leon closes the door, and locks it.

Leon sets out his blanket, unfolding it completely, "You can share mine, Ventus."

"I have a blanket, too," Vanitas says, taking a blanket from his bag and throws it to me.

I lay it down and cover up with it. Leon shrugs and puts his sleeping bag down normally and goes to sleep. Vanitas pulls another blanket from his bag and uses it for a pallet, as I am. He lays beside me and smiles slightly, "Get some sleep, Ventus. We have a big day tomorrow."

I sigh, closing my eyes, "Everyday is a big day, Vani."

"It doesn't have to be," Vanitas whispers.

_Yes, it does. It really does. I've learned that the hard way._


	7. Part Three: Wavering Alliance

**Wavering Alliance**

"Sora, what are we going to do when Riku gets back? You know he doesn't like people. Not after the town. Not after Braig and the others.." Kairi trails off.

Sora replies, "I don't know, Kai. They don't look like murderers."

"Neither did the others," Kairi replies sternly.

Sora sighs, "We'll have to stick to what we agreed to. We'll wake them up and have them leave. I already rounded the house, it looks like most of the biters cleared out when everything went still. They can't find food, they leave. Most of the time."

"I don't feel right, just setting them on their way all alone. It didn't look like they've been faring well," Kairi sighs.

"Kairi, we can't let them stay. We can't trust them," Sora says.

"That's for Riku to discuss with us. We make no decisions without him. That's our rule," Kairi states.

"Okay, but let's get them up, first. Tell them what's going on. How we work," Sora says, then someone knocks on the door pretty roughly, probably him.

Since I was already up, I go to the door and unlock it, opening it, "Morning.."

Sora frowns at me, "Who's the leader of your little group?"

"Who's the leader of yours?" I ask, not about to give something away like before.

"Riku," Kairi answers, "But Sora and I make decisions, too. We have votes."

"We do that, too, but it's mostly Leon who's the one making decisions," Vanitas says.

I turn to him and he's sitting up, staring at me with a bored expression, "Ven, wake him up."

I nod and leave the doorway, going to Leon and gently shaking him awake. I know better than to shake him hard, he might stab me. Leon turns to me and frowns, but he sits up, "What is it?"

"We need to talk, once Riku gets back. Kairi doesn't want to let you guys leave unprepared, but I'm in no position to make you leave, or ask you to stay," Sora replies.

Leon nods, "Fair enough. We'll wait for that Riku of yours."

"I think we should get to know each other a little," Kairi says, "My name's Kairi, this here is Sora."

Sora waves slightly, "You know us, how about an introduction from you all?"

"We don't know you," Leon replies, tilting his head back slightly.

"That's Squall Leon. But he prefers Leon. I'm Ventus, you can call me Ven, and he's Vanitas," I say for our group.

"How did you guys end up together?" Sora asks.

"Leon's my cousin, and Vanitas' my brother. We've been together since the beginning," I reply.

"How old are you guys?" Sora asks.

"I'm twenty-two," Leon says for once.

"Nineteen," Vanitas says.

"I'm twelve," I add.

"I'm twelve, too," Kairi smiles at me.

"I'm thirteen," Sora says.

"And Riku?" Vanitas asks.

"He's fourteen, almost fifteen." Kairi replies.

It seems she's the one who's more open to conversation, like me. She still wants to be able to trust. This world needs people like her. Leon stands up, "I hear someone, or something."

"Riku?" Kairi looks at Sora.

Sora shrugs, "I'll go check. You stay here and watch them."

Sora leaves our sight and Vanitas smirks, "Are we prisoners now?"

"Sort of?" Kairi giggles softly.

Vanitas nods, then sighs, "This will be interesting."

"Kairi!" a new voice yells.

Kairi turns and runs towards the front of the cabin. Leon and Vanitas start packing, and I do the same. We finish that rather quickly and we're all standing when a tallish, lean boy with silver hair comes in. He looks mad, and his eyes narrow, "Snuck into our home, huh?"

"We had no choice," I say.

"Biters were everywhere, Riku," Kairi says softly.

Riku looks at her, then back at us, "Well, there're gone now, like you three should be."

"Riku, have a little heart-" Riku cuts Kairi off, "Let me handle this!"

Kairi didn't stand down, "They've done nothing to hurt us. Riku, they _locked_ their door to protect themselves from us! _Us!_ We're way less dangerous than the biters."

Riku frowns, "People can't be trusted nowadays. You know that."

"What happened in Twilight Town is different. These three are nothing like Braig's group," Sora says.

_Braig's group? The people from the store!_ I look towards Leon, but if he recognized the name, he isn't letting it show. I look back towards Riku and he looks directly at me, "What's your name?"

"Ventus," I reply.

"How old are you?" he asks.

"Twelve," I say, _Why is he asking me this? _

"Have you killed the biters?" he continues to ask.

"Yes," I reply.

I glance at Leon, but he stares at Riku. I look to Vanitas, and he looks utterly confused. I look back to Riku and am asked another question, "Have you killed people?"

I shook my head for an answer and his eyes narrow, "You've been sheltered, Ventus. At least a little."

"Riku, what are you getting at?" Sora frowns.

Riku continues to speak to me alone, "You're just a kid. I can't expect you to be able to survive out there alone."

I frown, crossing my arms, "I'm not alone."

"You want refuge, right?" he asks.

I tilt my head, "Yeah.."

"I'll give you that. But the other two have to go," he says.

"What?!" Vanitas growls, "You're dumber than shit if you thin I'm leaving my little brother in your hands!"

"Vanitas," Leon warns, he himself looks barely in control.

"That's the terms. I can't let you two stay, you're too experienced. You're not safe," Riku replies.

"I won't leave them," I say, "they're family!"

Riku won't budge, "That's the terms for staying here."

"Fine," Leon replies.

I turn to him, "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Exactly what I'm thinking!" Vanitas glares at Leon.

Leon shakes his head, then turns to us, "It looks like these three are pretty set, and they're safe. I can't guarantee his safety for tomorrow. They can. I'd rather leave him in safety, then drag him into danger."

"How do we know they won't kill him once we've left?" Vanitas growls, "We're not leaving him with these people."

"Why can't we just stay here, we'll pull our weight!" I try.

"I can't trust them," Riku says.

"We can't trust you!" Vanitas retorts.

"Stop," I cover my ears, my head suddenly ringing.

"Stop!" Sora says, "If we take in one, we take in all. Wasn't that the original plan?"

"I changed it after Braig and them tried to throw me and you to biters," Riku growls at Sora, "I did this for Kairi's group. Another girl, much older, was with her. She let Kairi stay, she understood!"

"But Aqua wasn't my family! She just found me hiding in a building and took care of me!" Kairi replies.

"That's family enough, isn't it?" Riku asks.

"Things are different now, Riku. That was years ago," Sora says gently.

"Two years isn't long enough to forget, Sora. I won't take any chances," Riku replies.

"We'll leave," I say, "I'll just stay with Leon and Vanitas. We don't want trouble. Thanks for the offer, but I won't stay here without them."

Sora pulls Riku aside, "We have to talk about this."

Riku frowns, "Fine," he looks at Leon, "Give us an hour. Then we'll have an answer."

Sora, Riku, and Kairi leave our sight again and I sigh. Vanitas turns to Leon, "If I wasn't here you would have just dropped him off and left, wouldn't you? Drop him off at daycare and forget to come back for him?"

"Horrible analogy," Leon replies, "I would do what's best for him."

"So would I, and leaving him with strangers isn't what's best," Vanitas says.

I groan and walk over to the window, staring out. What I could see seemed pretty clear, no signs of zombs, but being so close to the woods, I know it can change quickly. And this place has no outside protection. No fences, no traps. Sora and his friends will have to leave sooner or later either way. I turn back to my family, and my eyes soften as I see their still fighting, over me.

They quiet down when Sora comes into the doorway, "Riku ants to see you guys in the living room."

"Why doesn't he come back over here?" Vanitas snorts.

I glare at him, but I don't think he saw me. I turn to Sora, "Lead the way."

He does so and I follow him. I can hear the other two following me, so I keep after Sora. We move through the cabin and stop in the living room. It's pretty empty, with only two couches, and nothing else. Riku and Kairi are sitting on one already, and Sora joins them. The rest of us stand there awkwardly.

"Please, sit," Kairi says softly.

We take the other couch, directly across from them. We stare at them, and they stare at us. It was uncomfortable. Finally Riku breaks the silence, "We've decided to let you three stay here, with us. On a condition."

"Name it," Leon replies.

Vanitas visibly relaxes and Riku says, "I'm the leader here. I don't care how much older you are than me, I make the rules. When we get low on supplies, we make runs to the town just north of here. It hasn't been cleaned out, we go every three days. With a bigger group, it'll be easier to get more. Even then, you listen to me. You have an idea, you tell me. We look out for each other. If one of us is in trouble, _any_ of us, we go help, no matter what."

"Is that all?" Vanitas asks.

"When we go on runs, three go, three stay. I pick who goes and who stays. No choice, this is my place, I make the rules," Riku adds.

Leon nods, "Fair enough."

"So we can stay?" I ask hopefully.

Riku nods, "We'll make another run in the morning. We're going to need more stuff with more people."

"Who's going to go?" Vanitas asks.

"I'll take Sora and him," Riku replies, gesturing to Leon.

"Leon," I say, "His name is Leon."

"I'm Vanitas," Vanitas adds with a grin.

I sigh, _So we get to stay, and we'll be safe. That's good, but I don't feel very safe.. _

* * *

The next morning, Riku set off with Sora and Leon. Leaving me, Kairi, and Vanitas to hang around. Vanitas was the first to break the ice, "So what do you do while the others are gone?"

Kairi shrugs, "Usually Riku was the only one who went on runs, so Sora and I would just keep the path clear."

"How would you do that?" I ask.

"We just keep the biters away. We'd shoot them," she replies.

I shake my head, "Bad idea. The noise draws them, and with you guys being so close to the woods, it isn't smart to fire off a gun."

She frowns, "Oh.."

I nod, and she asks, "So, how did you guys survive, without a home?"

"We used to travel nonstop in a truck. Until it finally gave out. Then we went from building to building each night. Scavenging whatever we could find. It's been hard," I reply.

She frowns, "Sounds hard. I had to do that once, and I'm glad Aqua found me. She took care of me. Taught me to shoot, how to kill the biters. I didn't know it was the head I had to hit before. I almost got myself killed hundreds of times before she found me. My family scattered when it all went down. I was with my mom, but she died when I was six. I hid most of the time. I found a gun by luck, but I had no idea what I was doing. It's a miracle I'm even here.

Then we found a town, very small, ran by a sole group. They weren't what we thought. We left when things started to go bad. Then Aqua found Sora and Riku. Riku offered to take me in. Aqua agreed and went on her way. I have no idea where she is now."

"Well, all that matters is that you're alive now," I says with a soft smile.

She smiles back at me, "Yeah, I know."

Suddenly there's a knock at the front door and Vanitas frowns, "Expecting company?"

Kairi grabs her knife, and so do I. Vanitas has no weapon, since Leon took both guns and his own knife. Kairi stands, holding the knife out in front of her, "No. Biters don't knock."


	8. Expect The Unexpected

**Expect The Unexpected**

"You actually go into town for supplies?" Leon asks.

"Well, yeah. Where else would we go?" Sora replies with a question.

"Why wouldn't we? It's the best place to get supplies," Riku states.

"Towns are filled with the zombs. Why risk it?" Leon asks.

"When you have to do something, you do it no matter what. We need supplies to survive, and this town has plenty. Biters don't eat what we do, and no one comes around this town. Too many biters. I know how to get around without getting caught by biters, I've done it multiple times," Riku replies.

"How do you get through without getting hurt with so many zombs there?" Leon asks.

"You ask a lot pf questions, Leon," Sora sighs softly, swinging his gun around.

Leon frowns, "Careful with that weapon, kid."

Sora smiles at him, "I'm not going to shoot you, chill."

"Shh!" Riku hisses, drawing his katana.

Leon frowns at the sword, but holds a knife at the ready. Sora holds his gun in both hands, pointed slightly at the ground. He glances at Riku, but Riku's staring ahead, having come to a stop. They look around and Riku ducks behind a turned over car. Sora and Leon follow him. The trio stays down and on guard. Again, Sora looks at Riku and he looks back at Sora.

Sora nods and Leon frown deepens, he whispers, barely audible, "What's out there?"

Sora mouths the word _"Biters"_ and he raises the gun to his chest, the barrel pointing towards the sky. Leon keeps his knife at the ready, but is painfully aware of Vanitas' handgun and knife in his holster, along with the shotgun strapped to his back. Riku lifts slightly to asses the danger. He sets back down and holds his hand up, showing Sora three fingers. Sora nods and Leon takes that as Riku's saying there's three zombs. Riku turns to Leon and holds up three fingers.

"Zombs?" Leon whispers for verification.

Riku nods and whispers back, "Three."

Leon nods, "Thought so."

Riku stands, and so does Sora. Leon stands, too and looks at them for instruction, not wanting to mess up and get Ventus and Vanitas kicked out.

"Kill them, don't shoot, we don't need more coming our way." Riku says.

Sora frowns, "I only have a gun."

"Here," Leon hands Sora Vanitas' knife.

Sora takes it with a smile, but he looks nervous.

"The head. Hit the head. Don't let it scratch or bite you," Leon says.

Sora nods and the three of them abandon their hiding place and Riku attacks first, slicing the head off the first zomb. The zomb's body falls tot he ground, limp. He then stabs the lone head and turns to Leon's side. Leon kicks the zomb in the chest, knocking it down. He then comes down on top of it and drives the knife into its head. Leon stands and looks for Sora.

Riku turns to look for him and frowns when he sees his friend backing away from the walker and he groans. He runs over and swiftly stabs the monster through the head from behind. He pulls the sword back and the monster falls limp. Riku glares at Sora and Sora wipes his face, hiding tears, "S-sorry, Riku.. I got scared.. I never get close to them.."

"We'll have to change that," Leon says.

Riku glances at Leon for a few moments, then he nods, "But not now. We need to get the stuff we need, and get back. Even Kairi can't use her knife that well if there's more than one coming her way."

"She'd stay in the house.." Sora says.

Riku shakes his head, "Doesn't matter. Let's go."

The three move quietly but swiftly north, heading towards town. It doesn't take them long to get to town and Leon sees the sign first. What used to be Radiant Gardens, a town full of people and the best food came from there as well. Back before the first night the dead rose. The sign itself was faded and damaged. Most of the letters of the town's name was missing.

"Be alert. It's full biters from here. _Do not_ _shoot,_" Riku glares at Sora, who looks down, nodding numbly.

Leon frowns and follows Riku and Sora past the sign. Riku looks around, moving quickly. He narrows his eyes as he looks about. Leon caught the gesture and understood why, "No zombs."

"None that I can see as of right now. It's strange. Even this far out, barely close to anything in town, there's usually tons of biters around here." Riku frowns.

Sora gasps, pointing to his left, where a ditch falls, "Look!"

Riku and Leon turn and Leon closes his eyes, "A zomb grave?"

Riku walks over to where the pile of zombies lay in a ditch. He kneels and examines the first one he can clearly see, "It's been killed. All of these have."

Leon walks up to him, "You said no one ever comes by here."

"Yeah, I did," Riku stands, "But it seems I was wrong. Keep your eyes peeled, we don't know who was here, or if they're even here now. Mission's the same. Get the stuff we need and go. Got it?"

Leon nods, "I understand you."

Riku turns to Sora, "Can I count on you to fight? Or do I have to protect you?"

Sora winces at Riku's words, but he nods, "You can trust me, Riku.."

Riku nods and turns from them, leading towards town. Leon falls back to Sora and looks down at him. He nudges Sora gently, "He always this hard on you?"

He kept his voice down so Riku or zombs can't hear. Sora looks at him and shrugs, "Not always.. I think he's on edge.. Because the responsibility grew.."

Leon sighs softly, "I know the feeling."

Again, Sora shrugs, "He's in leader mode. All he knows is survival. At any cost."

"That isn't always good," Leon frowns.

The conversation dies with that and they follow Riku quietly. As they get farther into town they find more zombie graves on either side of the road. Riku kneels to examine one and frowns, "Another clean stab to the head, but it's not straight.. No knife could make an incision like this."

Leon and Sora kneel to inspect various other piles of the dead. Leon frowns, turning over zomb after zomb, "All the same strange puncture to the brain."

He stands and goes to Sora, "What did you find?"

Sora uses a stick to push a zomb off another to inspect the cause of death, "Another weird cut."

"Same over there," Leon says.

Riku comes up behind him, "It's strange, to see so many piles, and it all seems to be done by the same weapon. How could one person take out this many and arrange them this way?"

"Maybe it was a lot of people, all using the same weapon?" Sora suggests.

Riku frowns, "Could be."

Sora gasps, "Riku, watch out!"

Riku half turns and as he does, a zomb man wearing some kind of military-looking uniform grabs his arm. Leon moves in a flash and stabs the man in the back of the head. The body falls to the side as Leon leans it to the side so it won't fall on Riku or Sora. Riku looks at Leon, "Thanks."

Leon nods and looks around, "Where did it come from? The closest building is across the street, how did we not hear it?"

Sora stands, "Too close."

Riku nods, "_Very_ too close."

"It made no sound, even when it grabbed Riku," Leon bends over to examine the zomb. He frowns, "Its neck's been bitten. How did he get away, then? How did he find his way out here then die?"

Leon stands and turns to Riku, "We should get the stuff now. We need to get back before something else happens while we're occupied."

Riku nods, "Just what I was thinking."

With that the trio moved towards the building across from them. They get in pretty easily, and more bodies litter the floor. Bodies of zombs. They move silently, looking around for anything they can find useful and stuff them in their packs. They take extra clothes they think may fit the other members of their group. They move from that area and head for the area holding food. Most of what they find is more zomb piles.

"All killed the same as outside," Riku says.

Sora starts packing food quietly.

"Do you think whoever killed them is still alive? These are a lot of bodies. Did the person work alone?" Leon asks, packing food as well.

"Right now, I have no answers, and I don't care to find out. Let's just get what we need and go. The less problems, the better," Riku replies, also packing food.

"Hey! This is my building! I cleared it, it's mine!" a woman's voice yells.

Leon half turns and has a katana pointed at his side. It was Riku who replies, "That soldier outside, was he with you?"

The woman, barely twenty, with cropped jet black hair wearing a black band around her forehead wearing a similar uniform to the soldier Leon put down, nods slowly, "Yeah, he was. We're sent here to clear this place out. Set base for military personnel. No one else is allowed here."

Her honey brown eyes were hard, "Get out or I'll make you."

"What killed that soldier and how did he get away like that?" Riku asks.

"He was caught by surprise. The monster bit him in the neck. I killed the monster then made him go outside. He was a casualty. I didn't know anyone was in town," she replies.

"How many of you are there here?" Riku asks.

She frowns, "There's just me now. I had a team of five here, eight all together. The others were caught, and now it's just me. I had to quiet the others."

"Quiet?" Sora asks softly.

She nods, "Yes. We don't let our own turn. So I quieted them before they could, except for the one outside."

"You stabbed your own men," Leon frowns, "to keep yourself safe."

"We all do things we don't want to do, don't we?" she asks.

She lowers the katana and pulls out a small shuriken, "These killed most of the monsters. Easy kill, and I don't have to get close."

Riku frowns, "Who are you?"

She grins, "I'm The Great Ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi!"

Riku tilts his head, "A ninja?"

She nods, "Of course. I'm a ninja. I'm the best they've got."

"And you're the only one to make it past this far. You're not even halfway into town," Riku says.

Yuffie smiles, "We cleared out over half the town."

"What about the rest of it?" Leon asks.

Sora keeps packing food and then he taps Riku's shoulder and whispers something to him. Riku nods and Sora slips away, unnoticed by the ninja.

"I have three more people over that way. They should report back here once they have it cleared, if the monsters don't get to them," Yuffie replies.

"Are there any...monsters.. here? In the building?" Riku asks.

Yuffie shakes her head, "I have the whole place cleared."

Sora screams and Riku growls, "Sure about that?" and he runs off in the direction Sora had went. Leon and Yuffie follow after him. When they find Sora, he's sitting on the floor, eyes wide. They look where he's looking and Riku's eyes widen, while Leon's narrow. Yuffie frowns, "This wasn't back here before."

They were staring at a man, one wearing the same uniform as Yuffie, tied to a chair, and he's covered in bites, but no other wounds can be found. Yuffie examines him and heaves a heavy sigh, "Zack, who left you to the monsters?"

Leon examines the man as well and he frowns, "Yuffie, just the 'monsters' got him, yes?"

She frowns and checks him again, "Yeah. So?"

"He wasn't harmed before they got him," Leon says.

Yuffie's frown deepens, "_So?_"

"There's no blow to the head," he says, watching her.

She looks utterly confused, then she gasps, "He didn't turn..."

"Turn?" asks Sora, standing with the help of Riku.

"When those things bite or scratch you, you turn if you get away, or they are killed when they bite you," Yuffie explains, "So, it's strange that he didn't turn. He wasn't quieted, so he should be a monster now."

"Exactly," Leon says, then he frowns, "But who could survive a bite and live?"

"No one," Riku says dryly.

Yuffie growls, "Who killed my subordinate?"

Sora gasps, "Sh!"

Everyone turns and looks at him. Through the silence, they can hear the distinct moans of the dead. Yuffie turns quickly and growls, "The backdoor. It's open."

And that's when the first few zombs trudge their way into the store, heading right for the four living people before them. Yuffie pulls three small shuriken in one hand, and holds her katana in another. Riku unsheathes his katana and takes a stance. Sora holds his gun and his knife in each hand. Leon holds his knife out, and keeps a hand on his shotgun as well. The moans got louder as more fill the space between the living, and the door.


	9. Another Predicament

**Another Predicament**

"Heh.. Kill the ninja leader. Child's play," Braig chuckles, strolling from the forest and into Radiant Gardens.

He walks into the upper part of town and ducks behind various things to avoid the walking dead. He makes his way swiftly to where Zack and two others are coming in and out of a building, dragging bodies of the dead.

"How many more can there be?" Zack asks, wiping sweat from his forehead.

A guy with red hair grins, "A lot? The world's full of 'em, remember?"

Zack rolls his eyes, "Not what I meant, Reno."

Reno chuckles, "Yeah, yeah. I think the building's mostly cleared out now. That'll be the fifth we've cleared. Only a few left, then the ones roaming down near Yuff."

Zack nods, dropping his load, "Good. Progress is great. Let's get this finished so we can go back to base."

Reno laughs, "Base? Are you sure you're not wanting to get back to Yuff? Dude, everyone can see that you like 'er."

Zack frowns, "Not funny."

"Who's laughing? Oh, right, _me!_" Reno laughs even more.

Zack growls at him, "Shut up! We'll have the dead on us in an instant with your fat mouth!"

Reno shut up quick, then he sighs, "Right, sorry."

Zack shakes his head, "And besides, Yuffie doesn't even like me."

Reno smiles, "Now, that's where you're wrong, my friend. She's head over heels for you?"

"That so?" Braig chuckles, staying out of sight, an evil light flickering in his visible eye.

Zack smiles slightly, "You think?"

Reno shakes his head, smiling, and goes back inside. Zack stands up straight and sighs, stretching his arms over his head. He gazes down the road, sighting a roaming zomb way down the way. He sighs and closes his eyes, "I liked things the way it was before."

"I think we all did," Braig comes out of hiding, smiling slightly, something unreadable shines in his eye.

Zack narrows his eyes, "Who are you?"

Braig chuckles, holding his hands up, "Whoa, brother. I'm not here to stir trouble."

Zack seems to relax, "Then why are you here?"

"I heard this place was supposed to be safe. Was I right?" Braig asks.

Zack frowns, "I've heard nothing about this place being safe. It's supposed to be a new base for the military."

Braig frowns, "I see. then I guess I was wrong. Not that it matters."

Then he grins, and Zack goes on the offensive, reaching for a weapon. Braig pulls a gun quickly and shakes his finger at him, "I wouldn't."

Zack growls, "Who are you?"

"Name's Braig. Not that it will matter to you soon," Braig chuckles, "Now, back away from the building."

Zack does as Braig says and Reno comes out of the building with a body. he drops the body and grabs a knife. Braig shoots him instantly and Zack yells in surprise. Braig raises the gun to Zack again, "Dead'll be headin' here soon."

Zack glares at Braig, "You won't get away with this?"

"I won't? No one's here to save you, buddy," Braig chuckles.

"Except me," a bald guy comes out of the building, weapons drawn.

Braig rolls his eyes and draws his second gun, one pointed at the both of them.

"Rude, go warn Yu-" Braig cuts Zack off when he shoots Rude and he grins, "Told you."

"You killed innocent people!" Zack gasps.

Braig shrugs, pointing both guns at Zack, "So? I've done it before the fall, and I'll continue to do it now. A criminal's still a criminal."

Zack continues to glare, and then his eyes widen as pale hands clamp down on his shoulders and teeth tear into his shoulder. He screams and Braig hides in the door of the building, keeping out of sight of the zombs coming from the forest, but staying to watch them devour Zack, his agonizing screams calling more of them. He grins, watching the color drain from the other man's face as the monsters feed off of him.

When the monsters start roaming, leaving most of Zack still in tact, Braig moves. He drags the body inside, then goes out the back door with it. He makes a lot of noises, screaming and hollering, drawing the hoard. He makes his way quickly, even with the extra weight, careful to make sure it can't bite him if it comes back, to the building down by the far side, where he sees Riku, Leon, and Sora enter and he grins, "Two for one."

He goes to the backside of that building and takes a chair from the back of the building, and some rope he found along the way, and ties Zack to it. He opens the back door, kicking the kickstand, to keep it open, and pushes Zack inside. He leaves Zack there, grinning, "He'll kill her when he comes back. She'll untie him to help him, and he'll kill her."

He runs from the place, making more noise to draw the zombs near. Once they are near the building, he throws a rate he saw in the doorway, drawing them more. When he hears someone shriek, he makes a run for it, avoiding the dead, who are too bus going after the rat to go after him. He cuts through the woods, heading for the trap he set for Riku's team, still grinning, he says, "If that doesn't kill him, finding his friends dangling above biters might."

* * *

"You won't get away with this," Kairi growls.

Who knew she had such ferocity? I agreed with her, once Leon and the others get back, they won't stand a chance. _That's if they find you first. _I frown and glance at Vanitas, who hasn't said a word. He stares at the ground, wiggling slightly against the rope binding him. I look down at the rope binding me and my frown deepens, "Where are you taking us?"

"Shut up," a gruff voice behind me says. I recognize it from before, it belongs to Dilan.

He pushes me a little and I stumble. He catches me and yanks me upright, receiving a sharp cry from me, as the force caused the rope to dig into me. Immediately at the sound of my cry, Vanitas' eyes dart up and he snarls, "Touch him again, you piece of'-"

He's cut off when the other guy, a guy who's tall and built like Dilan, but he has short red hair, smacks him, almost knocking him down. Vanitas growls but doesn't say anything else. I look towards Kairi, who's being held onto by Arlene, the old girl is glaring dangerously at the younger girl. Kairi ignores Arlene and walks with pride. Why?

**_She's hiding her fear. _**

The voice in my head is scaring me. I can't identify it as anything I've ever heard. It sounds like a whisper, but it isn't familiar. It's been speaking to me since Leon left with Sora and Riku. What does it mean? After awhile of walking in silence, we come upon a parking lot, where a huge pit has been dug in the center and a big machine lies beside it, it looks like a pulley system almost.

Braig is looking across the pit at us, he's grinning, "Welcome!"

"Where are we?" I ask.

Braig's grin widens, "The Zombie Pit."

My eyes widen as we're pushed forward, and I can hear the distinct moans of the dead. We keep moving until we're right in front of the pit. I lean slightly and I can see the dead faces, mouths opening and snapping shut, white hands reaching up for us. Kairi whimpers and I look at her. She looks horrified. I look to Vanitas, and he's staring at the dead with a weird expression.

I look back at the dead and I can feel the sweat dripping down my back. Being this close to so many.. I haven't been this close to this many zombs since we ran from the truck and Uncle Cid. I swallowed and raise my head to face Braig, "What are you going to do to us?"

His grin didn't falter, I think it may have gotten larger. Dilan smacks me in the back of the head and I'm seeing stars, then it went dark. The next thing I know, I'm danging, tied together with Vanitas and Kairi, both still unconscious. I look down and we're about forty feet above the pit of zombs. I shriek unintentionally and that jerks Kairi awake. She looks down at the dead reaching for her. She screams and kicks, setting us in a swing.

_**Calm her down.** _

I try to do so, "Kari.. Kairi, you have to stay still. The more we swing, the rope could give out.."

She looks at me and stops moving. she's still trembling, and her eyes are wide with fear. I smile softly at her, "We'll be okay. Riku and them will come get us. We'll be okay."

She nods slowly, "Right.. Right..."

She didn't sound too sure, but I didn't test her. I try to look at Vanitas, but he's behind me. If he's awake, he isn't moving. I listen to his calm breathing and assume he's still asleep. Until he speaks, "Kairi, stop whimpering. It won't help."

"Vanitas?" I ask.

"What, Ven?" he asks.

"Are you okay?" I was really worried about him.

He shrugs, or tries to, "Yeah, just got cut."

"What?" my eyes widen.

He shakes his head, I can tell because his hair's swaying. No wind is blowing. It feels weird up here.

"When that guy hit you and Kairi, I tried to attack them, the girl cut my face, but I'm fine." he says.

He still sounded so calm. It kind of scared me.

**_It should_**, the voice whispers.

I swallow and look back down at the moaning dead below me. I squint, trying to see something that just fell on them. **_Blood. A lot of it._** My eyes widen, _Oh god, Vanitas' bleeding bad! _I swallow again and try to look back at Vanitas, "Are you okay? How bad is the cut?"

"It's not that bad," Vanitas sighs, annoyed by me.

**_He's lying._**

"I can see the blood falling.." I mutter, not sure if he heard me, but I don't want to talk loud enough for Kairi to really here. Not that she would, she's lost in her own fear. She's trembling horribly. I frown and stare down at the dead again, I'm trembling, too. So many death.. I've seen so many of them, but it wasn't when Cid "died." No, it was before that. Way before. I remember the girl that tried to eat Vanitas when it first happened.

I remember every detail of her face. I remember every face of the dead I've seen. There were so many in town, Vanitas ran so fast. I could hear his heart with my own then. I was too scared to cry after I saw those people, people I knew, eat my mother. I saw everyone we passed. I yelled when one almost grabbed Vanitas when he faltered. I close my eyes, _Tell me we don't end here. _

"Braig!" Riku's voice was full of anger.

I opened my eyes and gasp, "Leon!"

It came without thought. Leon looks up at me and he frowns, but he doesn't say anything, or do anything. I tilt my head slightly. Huh? There's someone else with Riku, Sora, and Leon. A girl close to Leon's age. She glares at Braig, holding a katana, "You killed Zack!"

Who's Zack? Braig grins, "Yeah, I did. Too bad it didn't kill you, like I was hoping."

She growls, "You killed them to kill me? It's men like you that ruin this world!"

"Is it me or them?" Braig gestures to the bit below us. Riku growls, stepping forward, "Get them down."

Braig's grin widens even more, (Is that possible?) and he hits a button on the machine and Kairi and I shriek as the dead comes up to meet us. We stop abruptly, about twenty feet lower than before. I squirm, uncomfortable being so close, even if they can't reach me yet. Vanitas was still calm, and Kairi starts crying. Leon looks up at us, does he look scared? If he did, he just hid it. He looks angry now. _Oh, god, Leon, please save us! _


	10. Fear Above All Else?

**Fear Above All Else?**

Kairi keeps screaming and the moans of the dead below is driving me insane! I look to Vanitas, or rather, I try to, but he hasn't moved, and I still can't see him. I frown and wriggle a bit, trying to see if I still have my pocket knife hidden on the inside of my belt. Finding it is, I pull it out, and hide it within my hand. (Since the blade hasn't been released.) I turn to Kairi, who turns from screaming to weeping and I nudge her gently and whisper, "Kairi? Hey, look. I can get us out of here."

She looks at me and says in a trembling whisper, "How?"

I show her my knife and her eyes light up, "Will that help? We're so high.. And right above..."

"The dead, I know," I sigh, "But I can get us out, just.. Be cool, can you chill out a little?"

She frowns at me, "Chill out? Ventus, we're _dangling_ over a _pit of zombies!_"

I groan, "Just be quiet while I form a plan!"

"What's going on up there?!" Braig growls up at us.

I keep the knife in my hand and glare down at him. He's frowning at us, then he chuckles, "Looks like one of 'em's already dead. Dilan! Lower the ropes!"

The ropes slowly lower us and Kairi yelps as the dead get closer to us.

"Vanitas?!" I gasp.

He doesn't answer me and I can still see blood dripping into the pit below us. Once we're five feet from the pit something moves us sideways and we're now dangling over the pavement. We're being lowered still and Braig moves behind me, to Vanitas and I growl, "Leave him alone!"

"Oh, I will. He's zombie food," Braig laughs, untying Vanitas from us and lets him fall to the ground. I groan and turn, gaining an irritated gasp from Kairi as she's turned around, so I can see Vanitas.

Vanitas is lying on the ground, his head is bleeding badly, blood is pooling around him slowly. I gasp and try to move towards him, but I can't move. His eyes are closed, but flutter slightly and I cry out, "He's still alive!"

Braig grins at me, "Doesn't matter. He's still zombie food."

"_NO!_" I cry, literal tears falling down my face.

"Let them go, Braig!" Leon growls.

Braig ignores Leon completely and drags Vanitas towards the pit.

"No!" I scream again.

Braig ignores me as well and leaves Vanitas by the pit, watching as the zombies reach for my brother's body. _He's still alive, I have to do something! _Leon lunges forward but the man with red hair steps in his way, an ax in hand. _Where did he get an ax? _

_**Focus!**_, the voice growls at me.

"Someone stop this!" I beg.

"Help!" Kairi calls.

Sora looks confused on what to do and Riku just glares at Braig. The ninja girl swings her katana and moves forward, but is stopped by Arlene, "Where do you think you're going?"

The ninja growls, "Out of my way! Enough of the innocent have died by you people!"

"The world is death, sweetie," Arlene laughs, drawing a knife.

The ninja steps forward again, "I'm not afraid to kill you."

"See? Everyone wants to kill!" Arlene grins.

The ninja girl frowns, but doesn't fall back. Riku dashes forward while Arlene and the other guy are busy with the ninja and Leon and Sora runs after him. Dilan moves from the machine and runs to meet Riku. Riku draws his blade and slows to a walk, "Out of the way."

Dilan sneers slightly, "Don't think so, kid."

Sora stops by Riku, drawing the knife Leon had given him. Riku glances at Sora and frowns slightly, "Sora, get back to the others."

Sora looks hurt at first, then he nods and runs to the side, trying to get past Dilan. Dilan notices Sora and moves to stop him, holding out a spear, but Riku cuts him off, catching the spear with his sword, "Go!"

Sora runs past Dilan and turns around the machine, heading right for Kairi and I. Braig sees him and pulls his gun, "Stop right there!"

Sora stops, and quickly pulls his gun, aiming at Braig, but his arm shakes, "Let them go, Braig!"

Braig laughs, "Well, well, look what we have here? Sora's trying to play hero again! How did that work for you last time? Didn't that get her killed?"

Sora freezes, eyes wide. _Her?_

**_Pay attention! Braig's distracted!_**, the voice screams.

I quickly click the side of the pocket knife, the blade whipping out, and I work quickly to cut the ropes binding me.

"Sh-shut up!" Sora's voice wavers.

Braig sneers, "You do remember. It's your fault, too, isn't it?"

"No!" Sora tries to steady his hand holding the gun, "It's yours!"

"But wasn't it you who tried to attack me?" Braig chuckles, "You're the reason she became zombie food."

"N-no! You attacked us first! Threw us into a fighter pit full of zombs! You killed her!" Sora is close to tears now.

I almost cut halfway through my binds, and I watch them, hoping Sora keeps his attention long enough for me to free Kairi and get Vanitas out of here. _How am I going to do that?_ I look to Vanitas and the zombies are still trying to pull him in. Dreadfully, inch by inch he is pulled towards the pit. More hands reach up to grab him, and I cut at the ropes faster. _I can't let him die while he can't protect himself! _

"Your little friend stabbed me in the eye! She deserved to die!" Braig laughs.

"Liar!" Sora shoots the gun, hitting Braig in the side.

Braig roars and fires at Sora. Sora falls, but I didn't see where he got shot. Cutting faster, I free myself and turn to Kairi, trying to cut her free as fast as possible. As i cut, I bite my lip, very aware that any second I can get shot by Braig if he turns around and sees me. I can hear Braig cursing and growling as he gets up off the ground. I cut through Kairi's binds and she immedietly runs off. I gape at her and then there's a gun at my head.

"Thought you can escape, eh?" Braig growls, "I'm going to kill you all."

I swallow, "You won't get away with it."

"Yeah? And why not? I'm going to kill all of you and leave you for the walkers," he grunts.

The shot must really hurt. I look at him, I know I'm going to have to kill him. _I don't want to hurt anyone.. _

The voice whispers to me, **_It's kill or be killed here. _**

_Why does the voice sound so familiar?_ Ignoring that, I hold the knife tightly in my hand. _I'm going to have to kill him. Can I do it? _Braig grins at me, cocking the gun, "Say goodbye!"

Suddenly his eyes widen and he stumbles away from me. I look at him in confusion, and then I hear it. The moan of a walker, but not one from the pit. This one is closer. Much closer. I feel a hand brush against my shoulder and I turn quickly, a scream escapes me as I stare face-to-face with Sora. Only this isn't Sora anymore. It looks just like him, nothing at all is amiss, except for the muddy gray of his once blue eyes. He's not alive anymore. I look about him quickly, and see the gunshot to his chest. _Braig killed him. _

Sora lunges at me and I catch him, pushing my hands against his chest as he lunges for me. Trying my best to keep his hands from scratching me, I turn and push him into Braig. Sora turns at the contact and lunges for Braig's throat. I move from them and grab my brother's arm, pulling him away from the pit's edge. He's still bleeding, but much slower than before. I frown and hoist him up, grunting at the effort. I move slowly around the other side of the machine, away from Sora and Braig, and towards Riku.

Riku locks eyes with me and his eyes narrow. He pushes against Dilan and backs away, "We're getting out of here."

"What makes you think we'll let you?" Dilan asks.

Riku sighs and rams into Dilan, knocking him into the zomb pit. I gape at him and he shakes his head, "It's the only way."

He looks sad, and he looks towards Braig's screams. He sees Sora tearing into Braig's throat and he looks away, to me, "Where's Kairi?"

"She ran once I freed her. Off that direction," I gestured towards the woods to our left.

Riku sighs, "She's afraid. Doesn't have the sense to run to _me._"

I groan, "What do we do about her?"

Riku looks towards the ninja and Leon, who are no longer fighting. In front of Leon is the red haired guy, dead on the ground. Arlene is wounded, but alive. The ninja moves over to us and Leon follows, he looks sad. He hates hurting people. Zombs are his enemies, not humans. He told me that once. Leon takes Vanitas from me as he asks, "Where's Kairi?"

"She ran off into the forest in a spike of fear," I reply.

The ninja sighs, "I'm a good tracker, I'll get her and bring her back. Where to?"

"Do you plan to stay with us?" Leon asks.

She shrugs, "Can't say right now."

Riku tells her how to get back to our cabin and she nods and runs off towards the woods, but stopping for a moment to kill what Sora became, along with Braig, even though he isn't a zomb.

I turn to Riku, "What do we do?"

"We head back. Yuffie will bring Kairi back, and we lost Sora. Nothing else to do but get home with our supplies." Riku replies.

_So that's her name.._ Leon is silent as we make our way home. I frown and looks to Riku, "Hey, how did you know how to find us?"

Riku glances back at me briefly, then stares ahead, "Braig killed one of Yuffie's men and set walkers on us. We knew he was stalling for something, and or trying to kill us, so we ran from the zombs, heading for the front of the store, where the way was mostly clear and we rounded back once most of the dead were in the store. We locked the back so they'd stay trapped, then we followed Braig's tracks. He led us right to you, but I guess we weren't fast enough."

I nod slowly, "Hey..."

He keeps walking, so I keep talking, "I'm sorry.. About Sora. I know he must have been close to you."

"He was. We grew up together, literally. Our families were close before the fall, and when it happened, we got together and fled our hometown. We stayed together most of the time, up until I was eleven. My dad, Sora's dad, and his mom all left on a run. Mom was left with me and Sora. Something happened, and our hiding place was compromised. We had to leave, but Mom didn't make it.

"We got to a safe place again, a place called Settlement, which was only about three secured blocks in a small town. Mom told me she had been bitten. She told some grownups there, too. They had to put her down. Sora and I stayed there for two years. We trusted the people there, but it was a farce. The leader of Settlement had a son, much older than us. Braig. We got into a fight over letting a girl stay there with us.

"Braig didn't want anyone else in, he just hated people in general, but this girl was no older than Sora, so we fought for her. Braig threw all three of us; me, Sora, the girl, into a pit where he trapped zombs. He gave us each a stick, and made us fight them." Riku sounded angry, and he continued, "Sora tried to climb from the pit but Braig tried to knock him back in and Sora scratched Braig with the stick. It didn't help, but it got Braig mad. He knocked Sora down and then the girl threw her stick at Braig, and somehow, maybe by a miracle, it stabbed his eye. He tried to shoot her but she moved out of his way, right into the hands of zombs.

"Sora and I managed to get out, but we had to leave the girl behind." Riku sighs, "Sora thought it was his fault. It wasn't. If anything, it was mine. I wanted to save her, to trust her. I was a fool."

"No, you weren't," I say, putting a hand on his shoulder.

We enter the cabin and Riku sighs, "Put Vanitas on the couch, we'll see how bad his wound is."

Leon does that, and then he frowns, "We have a problem."

Riku's eyes narrow, "What?"

I move over to my cousin, "Leon?"

Leon holds down the side of Vanitas' collar, and on the side of his shoulder, is a deep gash, about the size of my hand. It's easy to see it's been treated and Riku growls, "He's been bit."

My eyes widen, "No..."


	11. The Lost Girl

**The Lost Girl**

"Move, I'm going to kill it," Riku steps towards us.

"No!" I gasp, keeping myself between him and my defenseless brother, "I won't let you!"

"He's been bit! I can't just let him stay here! He'll turn!" Riku replies, taking another step.

"Wait," Leon growls, which startles me, he never does that.

Riku glares at him, "What?"

"Think for a second," Leon replies, "This wound has been tended to for awhile now. If he was going to turn, he would have by now."

"So? He's still a threat," Riku says, "He can't be kept here."

"Maybe just keep him locked in a room until we can figure this out?" I try, "We don't have to kill him."

Riku seems to think that idea over, but only for a moment. He steps towards us and I move to push him back. He then punches me, knocking me down. I gasp and fall, and in a second Leon is in front of me, glaring at Riku, gripping the silver-haired teen's wrist, "Don't you _ever_ lay a finger on him, do you understand me? I know you're upset, but you can't take it out on us."

I sit up slowly, "Is this about Sora..?" I ask softly.

Riku frowns, "This has nothing to do with him."

"Yes, it does," Leon lets go of Riku, "You're hurt, I can see it in your eyes."

Riku glares at him and Leon glares right back.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Riku says.

"I'm pretty sure I do. We're going with Ven's plan. Then you're going to talk. I've been through a lot of hurt, and keeping it bottled up never helps anyone, Riku," Leon states.

I nod, "Leon's right. If you talk about it, you'll feel better."

Riku frowns, but gives in. He lets Leon tend to Vanitas' head wound, and once he had, he works on the bite. Once that was done, he locks Vanitas in the room the three of us shared the first night we came here. He comes back to the living room, where Riku and I are sitting across from each other. Leon sits beside me and looks at Riku, "Talk."

Riku frowns, "What do I say?"

"Just tell us what you're really feeling. It can't be that hard. I know you're hurt, I mean, I would be, too, if my best friend had just been murdered.." I stopped, frowning. I'm not making this better.

He sighs and his frown deepens, "Well..."

Riku kept frowning and glaring at the floor. It's not hard to see he has no idea how to let his feelings out. He won't get better if he doesn't. He tries again, "I just... Sora was like my brother. I'm sad about him being gone, but I.. I don't know how to act, or what to do. I lost my parents, and I didn't really feel anything then. I don't know how I'm supposed to act. I've never known how to act.."

"That's okay. Sometimes you just have to talk about what's bothering you. When my mom left, I didn't cry or get angry. I just knew the pain I was feeling wouldn't last forever. When I had to leave my dad, I didn't cry. I was hurt, and I did talk about it, but only after a few years. I never cried either. But it still helps to talk it over," Leon explains.

I look at him but he's watching Riku. I look to Riku as well and Riku stares back at Leon thoughtfully, after a few moments, he nods, "Yeah.. Okay. Thanks.."

Then he frowns, "What do we do about Vanitas? If he turns-"

"Then I'll put him down," I interrupt.

Leon looks at me in shock, "Ventus, you-"

I cut him off as well, "He's my brother, I'll take the responsibility."

Leon stares at me and I glare at him, to show him I'm serious. Riku sighs, "Fine. And if he doesn't turn.. If that's possible, then he can stay."

"That Zack guy didn't turn. Maybe Vanitas won't either," Leon says.

I frown, "Who's Zack? And that bite looked old, at least a few months, and he hasn't turned. Usually they reanimate within seconds to minutes. I don't think he's going to turn, I mean, he hasn't even died.."

"True," Leon replies softly.

Riku frowns, "And Sora had to die..."

"I'm sorry about Sora," I say, "He was trying to help us.."

Riku sighs, "I know. I sent him to help you."

"Don't blame yourself," I say.

Riku leans back, "I won't."

I smile softly, "Good."

He nods then stands, "Let's get this stuff unpacked."

* * *

Deep within the woods, a young girl watches as what had been Sora attacks Braig. She sneers at the sight, _Monster deserve death._ She watches the scene as Yuffie runs off in search of Kairi. Staying hidden, she watches as Riku and the others flee the parking lot. She watches them from the trees and frowns, _Silver one.. I... Know? _She follows Riku's group, all the while still hiding in the cover of the forest, all the way to the cabin. She stays in the trees and watches as they enter. She tilts her head, her pale blue eyes narrowed, and sneaks over to the living room window, crouching under it.

"I won't," she hears Riku say.

"Good," Ven replies.

Then Riku's voice reaches her again, "Let's get this stuff unpacked."

"Hey, Riku. That girl you told us about, Braig said Sora got her killed. Is that really true?" Ven asks.

The girl's eyes widen, and the wind blows pale blond hair across her face, _It is... _

"No," Riku's voice was full of anger, "He didn't get her killed. I told you, Braig pushed her into a pack of biters. Sora actually tried to save her, but I pulled him out while Braig was distracted with her knife in his eye."

"Oh," Ven's voice returned soft, "What was the girl's name?"

"Why?" Riku asks, "She's dead. What difference would is make?"

The girl stands slowly, turning towards the window, to see inside, to see Riku. She stares into the cabin at the silver-haired boy and her eyes soften, _It is him. I finally found him. _

"Just curious.." Ven replies.

Leon turns towards the window and frowns, "Look."

The other two turn to see the girl staring at them. Her eyes widen and she dashes to the side.

Riku's eyes widen, "Was that..."

* * *

I turn to Riku, "Huh? Should we go after her?"

"She could be dangerous," Leon replies.

Riku frowns, "It can't be.."

I frown, "Hey, Riku!"

Riku snaps his head towards me, "What?"

"That girl that was spying on us, should we go after her?" I ask.

He frowns, "No. We'll just scare her off."

"You know her," Leon says.

I blink, "You do?"

Riku frowns, but nods, "Yes. It's hard to understand, given what happened back then, but I think that's her."

"The girl Sora wanted to save?" I ask.

He nods, "Yeah. _Namine._"

* * *

Namine runs from the cabin. A part of her wants to confront Riku, to get to know who he'd become, but the other part of her wants to flee humanity, and stay where it's just her to watch out for. She wants to stay _lost._ But at the same time, she wants to be _found._ She doesn't know what to do, so she runs back into the forest, and she hides within the foliage.

When she realizes no one is coming after her, she heads back over to the cabin. She peers into the window again, staying out of view, but still peering in. She can't see Leon or Ven, but Riku is sitting on the couch, staring off to the side with heavy lidded eyes. Namine tilts her head slightly, _Silver one. He... Memory. More memory. Brown spikes. Yes, spikes. He bite now. Bites die twice. No lucky. No._

Riku gets up and leaves her view and her eyes sadden, _Silver name. Gone. _Suddenly her eyes widen and she turns quickly, catching the arms of a zomb as it tries to grab her. She grunts as she's pushed against the window, but she keeps her arms locked, keeping the zomb from getting any closer to her. _Knife! I need knife! _She grunts again, but doesn't move. Her knife is at her waist, and she can't let go of the zomb's arms or it will attack her.

She puts a knee up to the monster's chest, keeping it from her as she swiftly grabs both its wrists in one hand and she reaches down for her knife. Before she even has a chance to grab her knife, a blade is thrust through the zomb's forehead, and it stops moving. Namine's eyes narrow and she tosses the zomb to the side, standing straight again. She grabs her knife and holds it out in front of her in a defensive position.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't 'The Lost Girl'," a man chuckles.

The man is tall with silver hair and tan skin with gold eyes wearing a black trench coat and black boots and gloves. He sneers at her and pulls his sword blade from the zomb's head, and points it at Namine. The Lost Girl frowns and glares.

"What are you doing here, Xemnas?" Riku growls, holding his katana to the man's back. Leon and Ventus stand behind him, both guns pointed at the stranger's head.

Xemnas smirks and half turns towards Riku, "Well, isn't this quite the surprise?"

Riku's glare deepens, "Why are you here? Did you come to kill me?"

Xemnas almost laughs, "Come to kill you? Hardly. You're no threat to me."

His eyes dart to Namine, "Her, on the other hand.."

Riku pushes the blade against his back, "Hey, I'm you're enemy here."

Xemnas looks back at Riku, "Are you, boy? It seems so at this moment, but I assure you, you're wrong. The girl, she's killed many of my men. Hard to believe such a young girl could take out some of my toughest men, but I've seen it. I've been tracking her for two years, and now I've finally found her. I owe this to you."

Riku growls, "I won't let you touch her."

"What makes you think you can stop me?" Xemnas asks, "You are just children."

"We also have weapons pointed to kill," Ven says.

Xemnas chuckles, "And you think I do not? What makes you so sure I haven't gotten you surrounded?"

Leon glances around and frowns, detecting nothing, _Is he bluffing? _

"We could just kill you, right here," Riku says.

"If you do, you won't make it past this night, I assure you that," Xemnas replies, still smirking at them.

"Well, I _assure_ you we can handle ourselves," Ventus growls.

Xemnas shakes his head, "Such naive children. Who would let them roam on their own? Give up this petty notion, and go back inside. If you do, I will have your lives spared."

Ven glances at Leon, but Leon isn't looking at him, he's still trying to find fault in Xemnas' "bluff."

"Just get out of here!" Riku says.

"I will, as soon as the girl is dead," Xemnas states.

Namine looks from Xemnas to Riku's group, then back again. _Must run. _She dashes to the right, using the cover of night and trees, to aid her escape. Xemnas growls, Damn it!" and he turns on Riku, "You stalled me!"

Riku keeps his blade up, "Get back!"

Xemnas raises his sword and Leon immedietly starts shooting. Xemnas' body thrashes around like a puppet on strings as the bullets pierce him. Once the firing stops and Xemnas' body lies still against the ground Riku turns to Ventus, "Can you fight?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Ven replies.

"Can you track?" Riku asks.

Ven nods, "Leon taught me."

"Go after Namine. If anything, people or walkers, get in your way, kill it. Find her and bring her back here. Can you do that?" Riku asks.

"Why don't you do it?" Leon asks.

Riku shakes his head, "If we're really surrounded I'll need to be here. I'm a better fighter against many people."

Ven nods, "Okay, I'll go."

"Be careful, Ven. If you need anything, just call, I'll come running," Leon states.

Ven nods and runs off into the forest, the way he saw Namine go. He runs until he can't run anymore and he leans against a tree to rest and looks around. He frowns, _It's so dark. I won't be able to see much longer._ He sighs and starts walking again, looking around, trying to see if he can pick up any trace of where The Lost Girl had gone. He stops to try and identify a patch of footprints and crouches down, trying to see if it's her or just a zomb.

He frowns and then suddenly gasps as cold hands grab the back of his shirt. He makes a sharp cry and he's pulled backwards, off his crouch and landing against the dirt. He fumbles to grab his knife, which he dropped when he was grabbed. He looks up to see a man trying to take a bite out of him. He tries to pull away and grab his knife, but the hold is strong. He yells for Leon as the thing tries again to bite him. Suddenly the monster sags forward.

Ven stares in disbelief as a knife is pulled back from the zomb's head. He pushes the zomb away from him and gazes up at the person who had saved him. He sits up slowly, his eyes never leaving her, "Namine..."

The Lost Girl glares at him, as she stands over him, knife in hand, her voice hoarse from lack of use, "Stupid Town Boy."


	12. Don't Forget To Live

**Don't Forget To Live**

Namine points at me, "You," then she points to the night sky, "Up."

I scramble to my feet, "Namine!"

Her eyes narrow, "Who?"

"Who?" I blink.

She points at me again, "You. Who?"

"Oh! I'm Ventus!" I say.

She growls, "Quiet!"

I nod, shutting my mouth. She turns and walks away. I run after her, "Hey, wait!"

"Stupid town boy slow," she replies.

I keep in step with The Lost Girl, "Where are we going?"

She glares at me, "Way far."

I frown, "Why do you talk like that? It's hard to understand."

In a second she's facing me, knife to my throat, "Kill you."

I take a step back, "I understand that."

She sheathes her knife, "Good."

She turns and starts walking again. I follow her, "Hey... I'm sorry."

"Saw... Ree?" She frowns, "No... Under... Stand." She seems to strain on each word.

"Oh," my eyes widen, "Sorry means that I regret offending you."

She looks at me, "Regret?"

My eyes soften, "How long has it been since you talked to real people?"

She looks away, "Way long."

"Namine, do you know your whole name?" I ask.

She frowns, "Whole name?"

"Yeah," I reply, "Like my whole name is Ventus Ciel Strife."

"Ventus... See yell... Strife..." she reaps, then she frowns, "No. I lost. Namine girl."

"You're The Lost Girl," I nod, "Just Namine."

She keeps walking, "Just Namine."

I continue to follow her, "Do you remember Riku?"

"Riku?" she glances at me.

"Yeah, the boy with the silver hair. Was it him you were looking at?" I continue to ask.

"Silver," she nods, "Yes."

"How did you find us?" I ask, trying for answers.

"Followed Monster," she says.

I frown, "Monster? You mean the zombs?"

"Zombs?" Namine replies with the shake of her head, "No. Gray people no Monster."

Now it's my turn to be confused, "If not the zombs, then who?"

"Monster," she repeats in annoyance.

I cross my arms, "Who's the monster you followed to us?"

"Monster," Namine raises her hands towards me, both shaped like a gun, then she brings one hand to her face, covering an eyes, "Monster."

"Braig!" I gasp.

She frowns, "Braig. Monster. Yes."

"Did you stab him in the eye to save Sora?" I ask, testing her memory.

"Sora?" she frowns, "Stab Monster. Silver Spikes safe."

"Silver Spikes?" I frown then, _If "Silver" is her interpretation of Riku, then "Spikes" must be Sora!_ I smile, "Yeah! You tried to save Riku and Sora!"

"Sora," her eyes soften, sadden, "Spikes Sora. Spikes gray people. Spikes dead twice."

My eyes widen, "You were there when Braig killed Sora."

She nods, "Ghost watches."

"Ghost?" I tilt my head.

Again she nods, "I lost. I ghost. I hide, watch, survive. I lost Namine ghost girl."

I nod slowly, "I get it." And I really do.

Suddenly she turns and stands behind a tree. I follow her moves, my nerves on end. _What's coming?_

"Zomb?" I whisper.

She shakes her head and whispers, "Not gray people."

I try to peer around the tree but I can't see anything. I can barely see Namine standing beside me. I close my eyes, trying to hear. I can hear shuffling somewhere behind us, birds, and crickets around us, and heavy footfalls in front of us. I open my eyes, _Not the gray people. _

"Damn," a man mutters, "Where'd they go?"

_He's looking for us?_ I look at The Lost Girl and she's staring out, knife in hand. I start to draw mine when I realize I no longer have it. I frown, _I must have left it where I fell. _In a flash of white wisps, The Lost Girl is gone. I peer out from behind the tree just in time to see Namine stab the man's skull from behind. _She's so fast... _

She pulls the knife from the corpse and wipes the blood on her faded ripped jeans. And then, like a ghost, she disappears into the trees. I stand here like an idiot, abandoned by The Lost Girl, staring at the trees where she was a moment before.

* * *

Xemnas had been right. Leon and Riku were surrounded. Slowly, people came from the trees. They held knives, guns, and clubs. Arlene and Dilan are among them. Riku's eyes widen at the sight of Dilan, "How are you alive? I pushed you into the pit."

Dilan laughs humorlessly, "That's a trade secret; a chemical I created. If you smell like the dead, the dead won't touch you."

Riku frowns, "What do you want?"

"Well, we _were_ here for The Lost Girl, but then she ran off. And then there's the fact that you killed Xemnas. So, guess what we're after now?" Arlene sneers.

Leon's eyes narrow, "You plan to kill us."

"Bingo!" she laughs.

Leon's eyes sweep over the army against them, and his eyes widen upon seeing Lea and Isa among them. He nudges Riku, "Riku, look. Children."

He keeps his words soft, and Riku frowns, "No older than Ventus."

"What's the chatter about?" Arlene asks.

"Why are there children with you?" Leon asks.

Arlene looks at Lea and Isa, then grins at Leon, "Part of our 'Young Fighters' club."

Leon's eyes narrow more, "You're recruiting child soldiers?"

"Everyday's a war," Arlene replies, "and you're about to lose."

The army raise their weapons at Riku and Leon.

* * *

I fumble around in the dark, trying to find the place where I dropped my knife, but I have no such luck. The Lost Girl left me here, and I'm unprotected, save for my gun, which I will only use as a signal to Leon. We always have a code: If where's separated, and need help, we fire three shots, exactly three seconds apart each shot. I've yet to hear Leon shoot, and I need to find Namine and get back.

If Xemnas told the truth, they'd need help. Sight is lost to me, so I lean against a tree and try to listen. I can hear a zomb close by, but I can't tell where it is. I heave a heavy sigh and try to see above the trees. It's a new moon tonight, so it's basically pitch black where I am.

"No use. She's gone," I say.

Something cold and hard pulls against my throat. My eyes widen at the contact and I claw at my throat, at the chain pulled against it. _This isn't a zomb._ Hot breath hits the side of my face, "Found you, you little brat."

"Who...are you?" I ask through choking gasps.

The man laughs, "Wouldn't you like to know? All you need to know is that you die tonight. All you bastards die tonight!"

I fight to keep the chain from choking me, to keep air in my lungs, but I'm failing. I feel a heavy pounding in my head and everything's muffling. I find it becoming very hard to keep myself awake. _So, this is it. This is where I die. After everything I've been taught, it's humans that take me out. Riku... I'm sorry. I couldn't bring Namine back to you. Leon, I'm sorry. I messed up... Again... Sorry... So sorry... Vanitas... Vanitas... Vanitas... Vanitas... _

* * *

Namine enters the clearing, Ven's knife in her hand. She stops, eyes wide, when she sees a man holding a chain around Ventus' throat. _Monster hurt Town Boy!_ She rushes forward and stabs at he man. He yells as the knife cuts into his arm, and he is forced to release Ventus, who falls limply to the ground. The man aims a gun at Namine, but The Lost Girl leaves his sight, covered by the trees.

She comes up behind him, silent as a ghost, and stabs the man in the back of the head. Her attack is angled upward because of the man's towering height. The knife, Ven's knife, slides deep between the man's neck and head, severing the spinal cord, leaving no chance for reanimation. Namine pulls the blade back and the corpse falls. She turns and gasps, "Town Boy!"

She moves and drops down by Ventus. She looks over him and frowns, finding he isn't breathing.

"No!" she growls, pulling Ven into her arms, "Town Boy not dead! No more dead!"

The Lost Girl is truly lost. She doesn't want Ven to die, but she doesn't know how to save him. Her eyes widen when a memory comes to her, how she seen someone try to save another. Deciding to try, Namine pulls Ven close, leans over him, and presses her lips to his.

* * *

Lea glances around wearily at all the weapons.

He frowns, then mutters, "This isn't right."

He nudges Isa and the older boy turns to him, "Lea?"

Lea backs up a bit, and Isa follows, slightly out of earshot of the army. Isa frowns slightly, "What's going on?"

"This isn't what I was told. Xemnas said he was going to find that girl to help her, not kill her. Why are we trying to kill those two? They haven't done anything to us. Isa, this isn't right, if we kill those people, we're no better than the biters." Lea explains.

Isa stares at his friend with a steady ice blue gaze, expression unreadable. Lea was an open book to the boy. Lea was stronger than Isa, he did more work, but Isa was more reserved, kept his feeling inside more than Lea did. If Lea had a problem with something, he'd tell you. Isa would size up all possibilities of everything before saying a word. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that he grew up with Lea, Isa wouldn't have anything to do with him.

Isa didn't really like the redhead, but they were supposed to be friends, right? Lea frowns, "Are you even listening to me?"

Isa nods, "I heard every word. But Arlene has a point. We helped that one," he points to Leon, "and he got my uncle killed. I can't just let that go."

"Isa, how do you know what Arlene told you wasn't a lie? You know she has a habit of lying..!" Lea says.

Isa shakes his head, "I trust her more than I do a stranger. It was Arlene that rescued us after this thing started. She _saved my life_, Lea."

Lea's eyes sadden, "Look, Isa, I know it hurt you when you saw your mom..." he shivers, "Hell, Isa, I don't even know who my parents are anymore."

Isa frowns, "This isn't about that. It's not about trust either. It was a miracle that we found Uncle Braig, and then those people killed him. This is about revenge."

"Revenge doesn't help.." Lea sighs, "Just come with me. We can run away. We know how to survive now."

Isa shakes his head, "Out here alone? Lea, we're just kids. We won't last a day alone."

Now it was Lea's turn to frown, "Then I'll go alone. I won't stay here and watch everyone slaughter the living. The dead is my enemy, not the living."

And with that, Lea turns and runs off into the woods. Isa watches after him, and something passes through his eyes. Isa didn't move to go after Lea, instead he turns back to the army in time for the first shot to be fired, and the first body to hit the ground.

* * *

Inside the house, Vanitas sits up slowly. he shakes his head and opens his eyes slowly, looking around the room. His eyes narrow at the window, and what he sees there. Slowly, very slowly, he moves to his feet. A little clumsy, he almost falls upon trying to stand. He shuffles forward, his ankles tied together, leaving little room for movement, and yet the boy moves.

He gets to the window and stares out. His hands clench and unclench, but don't move, since his hands have been tied to his waist. He leans against the window, staring out at the people in the yard. His teeth bare and he hits his head against the glass. He does this repeatedly, his body thrashing about, trying to get free. He growls at the glass keeping him inside.

The door behind him opens and he turns slightly. Isa stands in the doorway, and unreadable expression on his face, his eyes dark. He then smiles, "Why are you all tied up?"

Vanitas shuffles around to stand fully before the younger boy. Isa pulls a pocket knife from his pocket and opens the blade. He slowly walks forward, still smiling, "Want to be free?"

* * *

"Live!" Namine screams, shaking Ventus, "Live Town Boy!"

She tries breathing air into the boy again, but he doesn't show signs of life. She growls and shakes him, "Wake up!"

She growls and drops the boy, turning swiftly, knife in hand, but she stops right before she strikes. Lea stares at her, "You... You..."

She frowns, "What?"

Lea shake his head, "You're The Lost Girl."

Namine nods curtly, then she drops down to Ven again and she pushes on his chest, "Live..!"


	13. Memories, Truths, and Lies

**Memories, Truths, and Lies**

"Damn it," Leon frowns, "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Well, this world is full of hurt," Arlene says.

She seems completely unfazed by the man who was once standing beside her, now laying in the dirt, shot down. Riku counts the number against them: Thirteen now. He groans softly, _I won't be able to cut them down fast enough, and they'll have Leon dead in a second the moment he raises his gun again. They were distracted then, they aren't now. _

"This is pointless," Leon states, "This fight won't help either of us."

"I want revenge," she replies plainly, "Hell, I have people roaming the woods, ready to kill that blond brat and The Lost Girl."

Leon's eyes narrow, "You're hunting my cousin?"

"All of you are going to die tonight," Arlene replies.

"We'll see," Riku says.

Arlene smiles and holds up a hand, "Shoot them."

Guns go up, and two shots are fired, but neither Leon nor Riku fall. Arlene frowns and turns, "What the-?" Her words are stolen when she sees two of her soldiers on the ground, face down, each wearing a bullet hole in the back of their heads. She looks at Leon, but his shotgun is still at his side. Two more shots are fired and two more soldiers fall. Another soldier falls, her throat slit. Arlene keeps looking around, and she roars when yet another falls, this one beheaded.

"What the hell is going on?!" Arlene shrieks.

"Eight down!" an excited girl's voice rings, "Five left!"

Another soldier falls, beheaded, "Four!" a young woman replies.

Two shots fire and two more soldiers fall. "Two left," another girl says.

"Show yourselves, demons!" Arlene yells.

Leon raises his gun and shoots Dilan in the head, now that he's distracted, "One."

Arlene turns and throws a knife at Leon. Leon was reloading his gun and didn't notice the knife until it was too late. Arlene sneers, "Show yourselves, demons!"

"That's not even close," a young woman comes from the trees, bloody katana in hand. She is about seventeen or so and she has dark gray pixie cut hair and she's wearing a leather jacket with leather pants and black biter boots and gloves. Dark make up surrounds dark brown eyes and her impish smile is painted black.

"Not close at all," she says.

Arlene smiles, "You're alone?"

The girl chuckles, "Not at all. One."

"Two!" a short girl about fifteen with long blond hair and green eyes carrying two long daggers comes up beside the biker girl. The blond girl's hair rests in a high ponytail and she wears an orange tank top with brown shorts, white knee socks, and brown ankle boots. Like the biker girl, she too wears black gloves.

"Three," a girl about sixteen with shoulder length brown hair wearing a blue tank top and black shorts with a long cloth tied around her waist that drapes down her left leg comes to the other side of the biker girl. Like the two before her, she wears black gloves also.

"You bitches killed my people!" Arlene growls.

The biker's impish smile grows, "You better leave, too, if you want to live."

Arlene growls and throws the knife at the biker girl, but it doesn't hit. In a flash the katana cuts down and the knife hits the ground.

"Want me to kill her, Paine?" the brunette asks, aiming her twin handguns.

The biker, Paine, shakes her head, "I'm giving her one last chance. If she tries to throw another knife, then shoot to kill."

The brunette nods. Then the blond girl speaks, "Yuna never misses. I'd take Paine's warning."

The brunette, Yuna, smiles slightly, "Never."

Arlene frowns, "How did you three take all of us?"

"You were distracted and scared when Yuna first shot," the blond replies.

"Last chance to escape," Paine says.

Arlene growls and raises a knife. Yuna preps for shot. Arlene turns swiftly and throws the knife at Riku. Riku brings his arms up over his face to block the knife. Yune shoots and Arlene falls. The three girls run up to Leon and Riku.

"Hey, are you okay?" the blond asks.

Riku pulls the knife from his arm and nods. The blond frowns at Leon, "She really nicked you good, huh?"

Yuna pulls her pack off her back and pulls out medicines. She cleans and wraps Riku's arm as the blond cleans Leon's wound, a long diagonal cut across Leon's face, and then puts a gauze on the wound and sticks it with hospital tape. The blond smiles, "That should help."

Leon looks at them, "Who are you?"

The blond's smile widens, "I'm Rikku, she's Yuna, and that's Paine!"

"Nice to meet you," Yuna smiles softly.

"Now, who are you and why were you surrounded?" Paine asks.

* * *

"Stupid Town Boy, wake up!" Namine growls, smacking Ventus across the face.

"Lost Girl... That won't..." Lea frowns, "You can't wake him up like that."

Namine turns to Lea, "Wake him up!"

Lea shakes lightly, "I don't...know how..."

Namine leans over Ven, her ear to his chest and she frowns, "Heart beating. Slow."

"He needs a doctor," Lea says.

"Nothing left," Namine replies.

Lea frowns, "What happened to him again?"

Namine puts a hand to her throat, "Monster choke."

Lea sighs, "His lungs aren't keeping the air then.."

"Fix lungs. How?" she asks.

Lea shakes his head, "I don't know, Lost Girl."

Namine stares at Lea, "Namine."

Lea smiles slightly, "Hi, Namine. I'm Lea."

"Lea," she nods then goes back to breathing air into Ven's lungs.

* * *

Yuffie sighs, "There you are girl," as she comes up to Kairi, who's sitting against a tree crying. Kairi looks at Yuffie and wipes her face.

"You were...with Riku..." Kairi whimpers.

Yuffie nods and pulls the girl to her feet, "I was. He sent me to get you."

Kairi nods slowly, "Okay... Okay... Can you..take me to where he is?"

Yuffie nods and smiles, "That, I can do."

Kairi smiles softly, "Thanks, uh.."

"Yuffie Kisaragi," Yuffie replies, taking Kairi's hand and starts leading her back the way she came, "You sure got yourself into danger, running off alone like that, and without a weapon."

"They took our weapons," Kairi says tiredly.

Yuffie smiles at her, "I know, and I got them back. You had a knife right?"

Kairi nods and gasps when Yuffie hands her the familiar dagger Aqua had once given her. Kairi takes the knife and sighs softly, "Thanks.." She meant it to go to both Yuffie and Aqua. Aqua had been no more than twelve, when she found Kairi, a small seven-year-old, hiding in an old building. The older girl went in for shelter, having just avoided a pack of walkers. Aqua found Kairi held up in the highest part, a gun in her hand. The poor child, so scared out of her mind, almost shot Aqua.

But Aqua was able to get the girl to calm down, and then Aqua had Kairi tell about her life. After hearing about how the girl's parents had been killed and the child ran for it, taking her father's gun with her, Aqua sat and listened. She listened as Kairi told about how she shot anything that looked like a walker, but she wasn't a very good shot, and all she ever did was run when she couldn't kill them. Kairi had killed a few, but by pure luck alone.

Then Kairi ran, having been chased by a pack of walkers, she went and hid in the building. Since the door had been shut, and zombs can't open doors, Kairi was safe. She hid in the highest place, gun always ready, and when she saw Aqua, she tried to shoot her, thinking she was one of the dead. Kairi had been glad Aqua wasn't. Aqua pulled the child into her arms and swore to protect her.

And that's what she did. She went and got food, water, and medicines. She taught Kairi how to aim and shoot properly, and she taught Kairi how to use a knife, though the younger girl wasn't too thrilled about having to get close to the undead. Aqua saved Kairi's life again and again, and she took care of her. Kairi thought of Aqua as a big sister, and she was happy to have her. Surely, without Aqua, Kairi would have died.

Aqua wanted to save Kairi, not only because she was just a kid, but because Kairi reminded her of her own little sister, who was lost to the walkers. Aqua was a quiet reserved girl, and over time Kairi respected that. Aqua never told Kairi about her past other than what had happened to her sister. Kairi was okay with that, too. She loved Aqua, and never wanted to leave her. So it came as a shock when Aqua told Riku to take Kairi and keep her safe.

Kairi was eleven then, just shy of twelve. When she asked Aqua why she couldn't stay with her, Aqua told her that she needed a steady life, she didn't need to always be running, like Aqua was. Aqua's words hurt Kairi, she thought she was being abandoned, but she understood after awhile. Kairi came to love Riku and Sora, and she secretly hoped Aqua would someday come find her.

When Yuffie found Kairi, at first, she thought it was Aqua. Kairi smiles to herself as she follows the ninja through the trees. Aqua was long gone, she knows this, but she always hopes. She sighs and looks around, trying to see if she can find any zombs that might make this journey difficult. She starts to relax, until something grabs her from behind.

* * *

Vanitas growls, "What do you want, kid?"

Isa gasps, "You're alive?!"

Vanitas frowns, "Yes, I am. I shouldn't be, but I am."

Isa frowns then, "Well, there goes my plan."

"What plan?" Leon stands int he doorway, Riku and the girls behind him.

Isa groans, "Kill me, I know you will."

"I don't want to kill anyone, but it seems you do. You were going to use him against us. It's strange, though. It probably would have worked, except he did't change, at least, not completely," Leon states.

"Yes, I was," Isa replies, "So kill me."

"I'm against killing children," Leon says.

"I'm not," Paine steps into the room and she raises her katana at the boy.

"Wait!" Riku orders, "His people are dead now."

"All the more reason to kill him now so he doesn't have a chance to kill us when we're not looking," Paine says.

"I think we should keep him captive until we figure out what to do with him," Yuna suggests.

"Well, _I _say we kill him," Paine replies.

Rikku frowns, "It's not up to the either of you, though," she turns to Riku, "Your go."

Riku frowns then sighs, "We can't afford any more casualties. He has to die."

"This is an execution!" Leon growls, "You _can't_ be okay with this, he's just a kid!"

"A kid who was going to throw a walker at you!" Riku retorts.

"He isn't a walker!" Leon snarls.

"He will be, and when he turns I'm going to have him put down!" Riku replies.

Leon draws back and punches Riku in the face, "I will never let you do that. We made a deal with Ventus and I won't let you betray his trust. If anyone is going to put Vanitas to rest, it's going to be Ventus."

"Is Ventus a blond kid?" Rikku asks.

Leon frowns, "Yes, why?"

"Was he sent to a blond girl?" Rikku asks.

"Yes, why?" Leon repeats.

Rikku points out the window and the others turn to see. The Lost Girl is heading towards the cabin and she carries Ventus in her arms, Lea walks beside her.

"Lea!" Isa gasps.

"You know him?" Riku asks.

"Yeah, he was with us. He left when Arlene wanted you guys dead," Isa replies.

"He's safe then," Riku says, "You, on the other hand.."

"Ven?!" Vanitas gasps.

Leon shakes his head at him, "Stay," and he runs out. Namine stops at the sight of him. Leon comes up to her, "Namine, I'm Ventus' cousin, what happened to him?"

Leon takes Ventus from her as she replies, "Bad...man choke Town Boy."

"Town Boy?" Leon frowns.

"Is he alive?" Rikku asks, coming up beside Leon.

Leon looks at Namine and she nods, "Barely."

"Yuna!" Rikku calls, "Bring the oxygen pills!"

"Oxygen pills?" Leon asks.

Yuna runs over, a small bag in her hand. Leon puts Ventus on the ground, and Yuna kneels over him. She pulls a small clear tablet from the bag and puts it in Ventus' mouth, then she pulls a water bottle from her backpack and pours water down his throat. Then she sits back and watches.

Leon frowns, "Where did you get those?"

"I made them," she replies.

"Yuna's a scientist," Rikku says proudly.

Yuna shakes her head, "Not really. I've been working on these for four years when this thing started. I found notes on how to make them two years after the dead rose."

"Will this save him?" Leon asks.

"It better," Namine says.

"Watch," Yuna says, her eyes on Ventus. All eyes then turn to Ventus.

* * *

"Come on.. Wake up, now. I can see you breathing. Wake up," a woman's voice says.

"Mom..?" I mutter.

The woman's voice is soft, suddenly younger, "Afraid not, kiddo. I'm too young to be your mom anyway."

"Hey, watch it.." I hear Leon say.

"Hey, he's waking up!" a bubbly voice says.

My eyes open slowly and all I see around me are a bunch of blurry shapes, but soon they come into focus. I can see Leon looking at me, he has a bandage across his face. _When did that get there?_ I sit up slowly, taking in all the other people around me; A girl slightly older than me with blond hair, a girl with short brown hair, Riku, a kid my age with red hair (What was his name again? Lea?), a girl with short grey hair, Isa, and Namine, The Lost Girl.

I blink, "Who are you guys?"

The bubbly blond giggles, "I'm Rikku!"

"Paine," the short haired girl says.

"My name is Yuna," the brunette says. _The_ _voice_ _I heard! _

"I'm Lea," the red haired boy smiles.

I smile back at him, "I think I remember you.."

I catch eyes with Namine and something passes through them before she looks away from me. I look back around to Leon, and he instantly hugs me. I gasp softly, "L-Leon?"

He pulls back, but his hands linger on my shoulders, and tears slowly fall down his face. I gasp, "Leon?!" _Leon_ _never_ _cries! _

He frowns and wipes his face, then he smiles at me slightly, "Sorry, about that. You just scared me for a minute, I thought I'd lost you. I can't lose you both.."

My eyes widen, "Us both..? Vanitas!"

I'm standing in a second, but I'm shaky and Leon steadies me, standing with me. I gape at him, "Where's Vanitas?!"


End file.
